StandWithUs
A new review of 136 Saudi Arabian school textbooks used in the 2025-26 academic year has found continued progress in removing extremist and discriminatory content - including the elimination of remaining antisemitic material - according to the educational monitoring organization IMPACT-se.
The report found that Islamic Studies textbooks now highlight peaceful historical relations between the Prophet Muhammad and Jewish, Christian, and Arab communities, while lessons on war prohibit harming civilians. References to Israel have become somewhat more neutral, with “the Zionist enemy” replaced by “the Israeli occupation.” Significant gaps remain - Israel does not appear by name on any maps, and the Holocaust is absent from a Grade 9 history textbook. Still, the overall trajectory is encouraging. “The overall trajectory is extremely encouraging and will inevitably contribute to greater regional stability and understanding,” said IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff.
