Saudi Arabia’s 2023-2024 school curriculum has reportedly omitted Palestine from most maps, as outlined in a recent report by the pro-Israeli think tank IMPACT-se, the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education.
IMPACT-se reviewed 371 textbooks for the current academic year, noting significant revisions compared to previous editions. According to the report, the social and national studies textbook for this year features a map of Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries where Palestine is no longer labeled, contrasting with earlier editions.
The report also highlights the removal of content that previously characterized Zionism as a racist European movement aimed at displacing Palestinians, and conspiracy theories attributing Arab expansion issues to Zionism. References to Israel as “the Israeli Enemy” and “the Zionist Enemy” have also been eliminated.
Furthermore, the current textbooks have reportedly removed or altered violent interpretations of jihad, with the report noting the removal of 21 problematic examples that were present in the now-discontinued “Courses System” textbooks. This includes a high school Social Studies textbook chapter on the Palestinian Cause that allegedly violated UNESCO standards of peace and tolerance.
These changes are speculated to be connected to US-mediated discussions aimed at normalizing relations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv.
