Jordanian textbooks still contain antisemitic tropes and hostility towards Israel, report warns
New IMPACT-se study says newly introduced schoolbooks continue to glorify martyrdom and justify 7 October attacks
New Jordanian school textbooks continue to contain antisemitic stereotypes, hostility towards Israel and material glorifying violent interpretations of jihad, according to a report published by education watchdog IMPACT-se.
The Jerusalem-based institute, which monitors school curricula across the Middle East, said textbooks for the 2025-26 academic year still fall short of international standards on peace and tolerance despite some limited improvements in areas such as interfaith coexistence and the representation of women.
The report examined 125 textbooks used across multiple humanities subjects in Jordanian schools, including 32 newly introduced books published since IMPACT-se’s previous review last year.
Researchers said Jewish people were repeatedly depicted through negative stereotypes, while Israel was frequently erased from maps and portrayed as part of a conspiratorial “settler colonial” project.
One Grade 9 Islamic Education textbook reportedly teaches that “treachery and violation of agreements are some of the traits of the Jews and their natural qualities,” while another asks pupils to “think about the reasons for the Jews’ efforts to annihilate the Muslims.”
The report also found Holocaust education remained extremely limited, although one newly published textbook referred for the first time to crimes committed against Jews during the Second World War.
According to the findings, material surrounding the 7 October Hamas attacks had been moderated slightly compared with previous editions, but the assault was still presented largely as a justified response to Israeli actions.
The report said Israeli victims were described as “soldiers and civilians”, while communities attacked inside Israel were referred to as “settlements”, language researchers argued downplayed the scale and nature of the massacre.
Textbooks also continued to promote militant interpretations of jihad, including newly introduced material aimed at younger children.
One Grade 3 Arabic language workbook reportedly compares martyrdom in a battle to a wedding celebration and teaches that Jordan’s sons “seek martyrdom”.
At the same time, IMPACT-se noted some positive themes within the curriculum, including lessons promoting moderation, coexistence and respect towards Christians, who are described as an integral part of Jordanian society.
Women were also increasingly depicted in professional and public leadership roles, although some books still reinforced traditional gender hierarchies and included hostile references to homosexuality.
Marcus Sheff, chief executive of IMPACT-se, said the findings were particularly concerning given Jordan’s close ties with Western allies and its long-standing peace agreement with Israel.
“Jordan remains a key Western ally and one of Israel’s longest-standing peace partners, making the persistence of antisemitic narratives, glorification of martyrdom, and hostility toward Israel in newly introduced textbooks especially alarming,” he said.
“The concerns that were raised to the Jordanians over last year’s curriculum have apparently fallen on deaf ears. Despite the publication of new material for the current school year, far too many of the same problematic themes remain unchanged, standing in direct contradiction to the moderation and coexistence Jordan promotes to the world.”
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