Saudi Arabia drop ‘Muslims will never give up Jerusalem’ phrase from textbooks
One of the changes was the removal of the phrase "the Muslims will never give up Jerusalem" from Saudi textbooks. Impact-se said the wording had presented Jerusalem as a potential focus of conflict
Saudi Arabia has made a series of changes to its school textbooks on Islam, Palestine and Israel, reflecting what an Israel-based research organisation described as a gradual moderation of themes in the kingdom's educational materials.
The revisions were identified by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (Impact-se), which reviewed Saudi Arabia's 2024-25 curriculum, says the Middle East Eye.
One of the changes was the removal of the phrase "the Muslims will never give up Jerusalem" from Saudi textbooks. Impact-se said the wording had presented Jerusalem as a potential focus of conflict.
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"The statement implied that Muslim control over or presence in Jerusalem was under threat... could be interpreted as framing Jerusalem as a site of ongoing struggle between Muslims and other groups, particularly Israel," the organisation said.
Several passages relating to religious belief were also removed or shortened. These included a Hadith about the Prophet Muhammad visiting a sick Jewish boy who later converted to Islam, as well as parts of Quranic verses addressing disbelief and sin.
"The removal of this example in the 2025 edition marks an improvement in the acceptance of religious minorities, as students are no longer taught that unbelief in Islam leads to damnation," Impact-se said.
Changes to maps and terminology
Saudi textbooks have also undergone changes in how they refer to the territory of Israel and Palestine.
The explicit label "Palestine" was removed from maps depicting the entire territory, although Israel is still not identified or labelled on those maps.
"[W]hile Israel is still not identified on these maps, the revision removes the explicit designation of the entire territory as Palestine," Impact-se said.
In a Grade 11 history textbook, the phrase "the Zionist Enemy" was replaced with "the Israeli Occupation".
Impact-se welcomed the terminology change but said it did not go far enough.
"While the change of terminology reduces hostility toward Israel, the use of the term 'the Israeli Occupation,' especially as it appears to refer to Israel as a whole rather than specific territories, continues to reflect a position of non-recognition of Israel," the organisation said.
Saudi textbooks nevertheless continue to describe Zionists as "cunning and devious", a formulation criticised by Impact-se.
The organisation said the textbooks' treatment of Zionism "presents Zionists in a conspiratorial way, encouraging a negative view of the movement as a whole."
The curriculum also continues to teach that Islam represents humanity's natural religion, another area that Impact-se has identified as problematic in its assessment of religious tolerance.
Historical account remains
The textbooks continue to include an account of Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann attempting in 1940 to persuade Saudi founder King Abdulaziz, also known as Ibn Saud, to abandon the Palestinian cause.
According to the Saudi textbook account, Weizmann sought to persuade Abdulaziz to "abandon the issue of Palestine" and not be "a major obstacle to the Zionist movement's ambitions".
The textbook describes Abdulaziz's reaction to the proposal as "criminal audacity".
Impact-se criticised the presentation, saying it "presents Zionists in a conspiratorial way, encouraging a negative view of the movement as a whole."
The organisation's criticism concerns the framing of the episode rather than the existence of the reported approach itself. A 1940 US State Department memorandum provides evidence for the core account of Weizmann's proposal.
In the memorandum, dated February 6, 1940, Weizmann was recorded as saying "the only thing the Jews had to offer was money". His proposal involved raising millions of pounds in exchange for Palestinians being "voluntarily transferred" to Transjordan and Iraq.
The historical episode remains relevant to the way Saudi educational materials portray the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, even as other references have been softened or removed.
Gradual moderation
Impact-se said the changes formed part of a broader trend in Saudi educational materials.
"The portrayal of Israel and Zionism continues the gradual moderation documented in previous IMPACT-se reports," the organisation said in its final assessment.
In a post on the social media platform X, Impact-se also said: "We appreciate Saudi Arabia's continued efforts to improve school curricula, including work to address concerning themes in textbooks."
The organisation campaigns for changes to school textbooks across the Middle East that it says would promote recognition of Israel. It receives US diplomatic support, while critics note that neither Impact-se nor its founders offer equivalent recognition of the State of Palestine.
The changes to Saudi textbooks come as the kingdom pursues broader social and economic reforms under its Vision 2030 programme, including changes to education and public life.
The revisions suggest that Saudi educational materials are becoming more moderate in some areas concerning Israel, Zionism and religious minorities, while terminology and historical narratives around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remain contested.
The debate also comes against a backdrop of continued disagreement over Palestinian statehood. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in November: "There will not be a Palestinian state. It's very simple: it will not be established."
