Saudi Arabia has removed the phrase “the Muslims will never give up Jerusalem” from its school textbooks, a change praised by the Israeli-based research organisation Impact-se as part of what it describes as a broader effort to reshape how Saudi students are taught about Islam, Palestine, Jerusalem, and Israeli occupation.
Impact-se published its review of the Saudi curriculum at the end of July. According to the organisation, the removed statement had implied that Muslim control over or presence in Jerusalem remained under threat. It argued that the wording could frame Jerusalem as a site of an ongoing struggle between Muslims and other groups, particularly Israel, and therefore welcomed its removal as a “positive development.”
The curriculum changes come amid continuing concerns over Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site. The issue remains particularly sensitive because Israeli occupation politicians have repeatedly made statements calling for the destruction or replacement of Al-Aqsa and the construction of a Jewish temple at the site. Against this backdrop, the removal of a reference emphasizing that Muslims would not give up Jerusalem has drawn increased attention.
Impact-se also highlighted changes involving Quranic verses and Hadith in Saudi textbooks. Among the reported changes was the removal of a well-known Hadith describing the Prophet Muhammad visiting a sick Jewish boy. According to the account, the Prophet visited the boy while he was ill, invited him to Islam, and the boy subsequently accepted Islam. Impact-se said removing this example represented an improvement in the treatment of religious minorities, arguing that students would no longer be taught through this account that disbelief in Islam leads to damnation.
The organisation further praised the truncation of passages from the Quran dealing with disbelief and sin. At the same time, Impact-se criticized Saudi schools for continuing to teach that Islam represents humanity’s natural religion, arguing that similar claims about religious truth and human nature are also found within other major faith traditions.
The review also examined changes to maps and terminology used in Saudi textbooks. Impact-se said earlier educational materials contained maps that omitted Israeli occupation and labelled the entire territory as Palestine. According to its review, Saudi authorities subsequently removed the Palestine label from several maps in the 2024–25 textbooks, representing another significant change in how the Israeli-Palestinian issue is presented to Saudi students.
The changes have emerged as Saudi Arabia’s regional and diplomatic position continues to evolve. Riyadh has maintained that Palestinian statehood remains central to any potential normalization agreement with Israeli occupation, while the curriculum revisions have nevertheless attracted praise from an Israeli research organisation that monitors educational content concerning Israel, Judaism, and the broader region.
The developments therefore extend beyond ordinary textbook revisions. The removal of references to Muslims’ connection to Jerusalem, changes to Quranic and Hadith material, and alterations to maps depicting Palestine and Israel collectively point to a significant transformation in how Saudi educational materials present religion, Jerusalem, Palestine, and Israeli occupation to a new generation of students.
