Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair reportedly pressured the Palestinian Authority to remove references to “Palestine” from school curricula and replace them with the biblical term “Samaria,” according to former UK Ambassador to the United Nations Jeremy Greenstock. Speaking to Middle East Eye, Greenstock said Blair, who has been involved with US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, traveled to Ramallah and conveyed the demand to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Greenstock said a ministerial-level source told him that Blair presented the removal of the term “Palestine” from Palestinian textbooks as a condition for the Board of Peace to recognize the Palestinian Authority as a viable negotiating partner.
According to Greenstock, Abbas rejected the demand outright, saying he would not agree to such a change. Greenstock criticized the reported request, saying it raised questions about the principles guiding the Board of Peace. The claim has been disputed by Blair’s Institute for Global Change, which denied that such a request was made.
The reported episode comes amid wider disputes over how Palestinian history, identity and terminology are represented in educational and cultural institutions. Palestinian and Israeli authorities have repeatedly clashed over the portrayal of history and national identity in textbooks, museums and public institutions. The controversy also comes as international efforts surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continue to focus on the future political status of the Palestinian territories and the possibility of renewed negotiations.
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