Saudi school textbooks showed significant moderation of anti-Israel and antisemitic material, as revealed in a new report by IMPACT-se, the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education.
The research center reviewed 371 textbooks for the 2023-24 school year, comparing and contrasting the Saudi curriculum with past years. Notably, IMPACT-se has been reviewing Saudi textbooks since the early 2000s, publishing reports showing comparisons in a timely manner.
This latest report revealed positive improvements towards inclusivity in the curriculum. For instance, a high school social studies textbook, regarded as a “breeding ground for anti-Israel hatred,” has been completely removed for the 2023-24 academic year.
Other examples include the elimination of content that defines Zionism as a “racist” “European” movement that aims to “expel Palestinians,” as well as other conspiracy theories blaming Zionism for having “fundamental goals” to expand and take over Arab lands, oil wells, and Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. Likewise, references to Israel as “the Israeli Enemy” and “the Zionist Enemy” have been taken down, although Israel is still not openly recognized, and an entire chapter about WWII in a high school textbook does not mention the Holocaust even once.
'Embracing tolerance and moderation'
“Year on year we are seeing advances in Saudi textbooks which add up to a curriculum that increasingly embraces tolerance and moderation. These most recent changes, which include a more open attitude towards Israel, are another important step in this direction,” said Marcus Sheff, CEO of IMPACT-se.
Other improvements include the removal of hateful examples of Jews, Christians, and polytheists or ‘infidels,’ as well as moderating discourse toward the Shi’a and Sufi streams in Islam. Additionally, there was improvement concerning gender issues, with the removal of statements regarding traditional roles of women. Likewise, a significant amount of homophobic content was also removed.
The report also highlighted the way Saudi textbooks denounce radical Muslim ideologies, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, the Houthis, and more. In this context, violent interpretations of Jihad and martyrdom were also abolished.
IMPACT-se, a long-established research and policy institute based in London and Tel Aviv, examines global educational curricula to advance peace education according to UNESCO standards. The institute’s methodology, grounded in UNESCO, UN declarations, and international recommendations, ensures precise and impartial analysis without paraphrasing or interpretation.
IMPACT-se’s core standards for curricula encompass, inter alia, respect for others, humanization of diverse groups, rejection of hate and incitement, promotion of peacebuilding, unbiased information delivery, and commitment to gender representation, along with respect for gender identity and sexual orientation.