British consulate in Jerusalem contributed to Hamas-run kindergarten

July 1, 2002

The British Consulate General in east Jerusalem contributed more than $ 20,000 to a Gaza Strip kindergarten belonging to an organization affiliated with Hamas, and which operated pre-school activities supporting terror attacks against Israelis.

The British contribution, part of the education projects and development assistance given to the Palestinians over the 2001-2 fiscal year, was geared for renovations in a Nuseirat refugee camp kindergarten run by the Islamic Society, the British Mail on Sunday reported yesterday. The paper emphasized that the Islamic Society is connected to Hamas, and its offices were closed repeatedly in the past on orders of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.

The Islamic Society kindergarten is included on a list of aid recipients posted on the British Consulate-General website.

“Britain is working in partnership with the Palestinian people, the Palestinian Authority, international organizations, other donors and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help eliminate poverty and to improve living conditions and the quality of life in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,” the website states.

The British financial assistance was provided in coordination with Medical Aid for Palestinians, a British organization with offices in London recently visited by Cherie Blair, wife of the British prime minister. Blair’s visit, along with Queen Rania of Jordan, caused an international media storm due to her comments expressing understanding for the despair leading Palestinian youths to perpetrate suicide bombing attacks.

A school run by the Islamic Society recently staged a year-end graduation ceremony, with its youngsters dressed up as members of a Ramallah lynch mob, their hands painted red to portray the blood of their victims. Nursery school children burned Israeli flags, and marched proudly with toy assault rifles as they pledged to continue holy war until all of Palestine was liberated.