A new report from a London-based education watchdog warns of a sharp rise in antisemitic and anti-Israel content in Jordan’s school curriculum, including justification for the October 7 massacre and calls for violent jihad. The findings come days after a deadly shooting attack at the Allenby Crossing, where two Israeli soldiers were killed.
The study by IMPACT-se (Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education) found that Jordan’s textbooks for the 2024–2025 academic year portray the 1994 peace treaty with Israel as a burden, glorify attacks on Israeli civilians, and systematically erase Israel from educational maps.
The report follows a combined terror attack last week at the Allenby Bridge crossing, in two IDF soldiers were killed.
“Jordan’s education system has become one of the most dangerous in the region,” said Marcus Sheff, IMPACT-se’s CEO. “It systematically incites hatred and violence toward Jews and Israel, echoes Hamas propaganda, and fosters hostility in the classroom. This is not theoretical—it plays out in real-world violence, as we saw at the border.”
Justifying massacres and denying peace
According to the report, Jordanian textbooks now depict Israeli hostages kidnapped on October 7 as “settlers” living in “Israeli colonies around Gaza”—a framing that portrays civilians as legitimate targets. One 10th-grade civics book claims the attack was provoked by Israel’s “daily massacres” and “assaults on Al-Aqsa Mosque,” describing the Hamas-led massacre as a necessary “surprise” operation against “settlers and Israeli soldiers.”
The same book characterizes Israel’s response to the attack as an indiscriminate onslaught, blaming Israel for “tens of thousands of martyrs,” the destruction of infrastructure, and displacement of civilians in Gaza. No mention is made of Hamas’s role in the violence.
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Section Four: 'Betrayal and treaty violations are part of the Jews nature and inherent traits'; antisemitic claims in Jordanian schoolbooks
Previously, Jordan’s textbooks made only passing reference to its peace treaty with Israel. The updated editions dedicate three full pages to the agreement—but frame it as a coercive measure Jordan was forced to accept after the Palestinians entered negotiations with Israel. The treaty is described as an attempt to stop Israel’s “greedy ambitions” to expand into Jordan and neighboring states.
The phrase, the report notes, reflects an antisemitic trope portraying Israel as a colonial threat to the Arab world.
Israel disappears from the map
Despite 30 years of diplomatic relations, Israel does not appear on maps in Jordanian schoolbooks. In a 4th-grade social studies book, the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea is labeled entirely as “Palestine.”
Meanwhile, Israel is blamed for the 1969 fire at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, described in textbooks as a deliberate act by Jews. The incident was in fact carried out by an Australian Christian extremist, Denis Michael Rohan.
Another recurring theme across Islamic and history textbooks is the characterization of Jews as inherently treacherous. A 9th-grade Islamic studies book teaches that “betrayal and treaty violations are part of the innate nature of the Jews,” referencing the early Islamic narrative of the Battle of the Trench in 622 CE, where the Jewish Banu Qurayza tribe was executed.
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Instead of Israel: 'Palestine'; map from a 4th-grade social studies textbook in Jordan
Jordanian history books also make no mention of the Holocaust, and present Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 merely as a “territorial conflict,” omitting any reference to Adolf Hitler’s genocidal agenda.
Contradicting the king’s policy
The report notes that many of the textbooks’ messages stand in stark contrast to the official positions of King Abdullah II, who has repeatedly voiced support for a two-state solution and regional cooperation with Israel.
Nonetheless, the schoolbooks praise violent jihad as a central component of Jordanian and Islamic identity. A 12th-grade Islamic studies book teaches that Muslims are obligated to fight “infidel warriors,” and warns against neglecting this duty.
The findings raise concerns in Israel, particularly as Jordan recently reinstated mandatory military service for 18-year-olds for the first time since 1992. IMPACT-se warns that students raised on such incitement will soon join the armed forces, potentially fueling further hostility toward Israel.
“Education can either prevent or promote extremism,” said Eric Agassi, IMPACT-se’s deputy director. “Jordan’s current curriculum leads students down a path of hatred and violence. The international community must act urgently to reverse this trend and return to teaching values of peace and tolerance.”
The report also points out that while Jordan’s textbooks extensively cover King Hussein’s legacy, they omit his 1997 condolence visit to the Israeli families of schoolgirls murdered by a Jordanian soldier at Naharayim—a gesture widely seen as a milestone in Israeli-Jordanian relations.