According to a report from the Israeli research group Impact-se, textbooks in Saudi Arabia have undergone changes, including the exclusion of phrases such as 'Zionist enemy,' as well as the removal of the name 'Palestine' from maps.
Impact-se, an organization based in Israel that promotes pro-Israel changes in the textbooks of Arab countries, notes a positive trend in the changing attitude towards Israel in Saudi textbooks.
At the end of July, Impact-se published its review of the Saudi curriculum, praising the Kingdom for removing the phrase 'Muslims will never give up Jerusalem' from the textbooks. The group noted that this statement implied a threat to Muslim control or presence in Jerusalem and could be interpreted as presenting Jerusalem as a place of ongoing struggle between Muslims and other groups, particularly Israel.
The report also indicated that all instances of antisemitism were removed from the textbooks. Other changes include the exclusion of excerpts from the Quran and Hadiths. As an example, the removal of a hadith recounting the Prophet Muhammad's visit to a sick Jewish child who later converted to Islam is cited. According to the report, the removal of this example in the 2025 edition indicates an improvement in the acceptance of religious minorities, as students are no longer taught that disbelief in Islam leads to destruction.
Nevertheless, the report maintained a critical view on some aspects of the curriculum, especially regarding the use of the term 'Israeli occupation' when referring to Israel, whereas previously the expression 'Zionist enemy' was used. Impact-se emphasized that while the change in terminology reduces hostility towards Israel, the use of the term 'Israeli occupation' continues to reflect a position of non-recognition of Israel.
Another significant change concerned maps of the Middle East. Previously, all Saudi Arabian textbooks designated the entire territory of Palestine as 'Palestine,' but now this name is completely absent. Furthermore, according to the report, Israel has not been added to these maps.
Following the publication of the report, Impact-se wrote on X: 'We appreciate Saudi Arabia's continuous efforts to improve educational curricula, including working to eliminate concerning topics from textbooks.'