Saudi Textbooks Soften Tone on Israel Amid Educational Reforms

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Saudi Arabia is revising its school textbooks to remove hostile language toward Israel, including sensitive phrases and map labels, as part of a broader push for tolerance. However, some content still depicts Israel as an occupying power, reflecting ongoing tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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Saudi textbooks removed hostile phrases about Israel, including a statement on Jerusalem.
Maps in textbooks no longer label some areas within Israel as Palestine.
Educational reforms emphasize coexistence, tolerance, and dialogue.
Antisemitic content has been eliminated from recent textbook editions.
Some textbooks still portray Israel as an occupying force.
Changes reflect a gradual shift under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

A recent report by IMPACT-se reveals ongoing changes in Saudi Arabian school textbooks that reflect a softer stance toward Israel. Hostile language and politically charged phrases have been removed or altered, and maps have been updated to reduce contentious references. For example, a sentence from the 2023-2024 Arabic language textbook for 11th grade stating "Muslims will never give up Jerusalem" was completely removed in editions from 2024-2025 onward. IMPACT-se noted this phrase implied a threatened Muslim presence in Jerusalem, and its removal eliminates a politically and religiously sensitive assertion.

The report also highlights changes in maps where the label "Palestine" has been removed from areas within Israel's recognized borders, sometimes leaving those areas unnamed. These modifications are part of a broader trend in Saudi education over recent years emphasizing coexistence, tolerance, and dialogue. Antisemitic content found in earlier editions has also been eliminated.

Despite these reforms, the report stresses that some textbooks still portray Israel as an occupying force and maintain the Palestinian narrative of the conflict. The changes reflect a gradual shift in Saudi educational policy under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, signaling a cautious move toward a less hostile depiction of Israel while the political conflict remains unresolved.

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