Saudi Arabia has continued to make significant changes to the language and content of its school textbooks, with the latest curriculum revisions removing the description of Israel as the “Zionist Enemy” and replacing it with the term “Israeli Occupation.” The change is being viewed as another important step in the kingdom’s broader effort to reform its education system and promote a more moderate approach to sensitive religious, political and historical issues.
According to a July 2026 review by IMPACT-se, which monitors school curricula, Saudi textbooks for the 2025–26 academic year no longer use the phrase “the Zionist Enemy” in at least one Grade 11 history textbook. Instead, the text refers to “the Israeli Occupation.” The wording appears in a section discussing Saudi King Salman’s humanitarian support for Palestinians and other communities affected by conflicts and disasters.
The latest development builds on curriculum changes that have been taking place in Saudi Arabia for several years. Earlier editions of Saudi textbooks reportedly contained terms such as “Israeli Enemy” and “Zionist Enemy.” Those expressions have gradually been removed or replaced, while some other passages relating to Israel, Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have also been revised.
A Broader Curriculum Reform
Saudi Arabia has been undertaking major social and educational reforms as part of its wider modernization agenda. The changes in school textbooks are particularly significant because education plays an important role in shaping how younger generations understand religion, history, politics and relations with other communities.
Reports on previous editions found that Saudi textbooks had already removed or softened a number of passages considered hostile toward Jews, Christians and other groups. References that portrayed Israel as an “enemy state” were removed from some textbooks, while descriptions of Zionism were also revised.
The removal of the phrase “Zionist Enemy” does not necessarily mean that Saudi Arabia has abandoned its traditional position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rather, it represents a change in terminology. The expression “Israeli Occupation” continues to present Israel in the context of the Palestinian conflict, but without using the explicitly adversarial word “enemy.”
This distinction is important because Saudi Arabia continues to support the Palestinian cause and has repeatedly emphasized the importance of a political solution to the conflict.
Changes Began Before the Latest Revision
The latest textbook revisions are part of a process that has been underway for years. Research into Saudi textbooks published in the early 2020s found that several references to Israel and the conflict had already been altered.
Some textbooks replaced “Israeli Enemy” and “Zionist Enemy” with “Israeli Occupation” or “Israeli Occupation Army.” Other material relating to the Palestinian struggle, the First Intifada and accusations against Israel was removed or rewritten.
In 2024, an analysis of Saudi textbooks found that the term “enemy state” had largely disappeared from descriptions of Israel. At the same time, references to the “Israeli occupation” remained. The study also reported changes in maps, with some textbooks no longer labeling the territory with the name “Palestine,” while Israel itself was not explicitly shown.
These changes have attracted considerable international attention because they appear to reflect a broader transformation in how Saudi Arabia presents controversial historical and political subjects to students.
Focus on Tolerance and Moderation
One of the main themes of Saudi Arabia’s educational reforms has been the promotion of moderation and tolerance. The kingdom has sought to reduce material that could be interpreted as encouraging hatred or hostility toward other religious and ethnic communities.
Earlier curriculum reviews identified passages concerning Jews and Christians that were considered problematic. Over time, some of those passages were deleted, rewritten or presented in a less confrontational manner.
The changes are closely connected with Saudi Arabia’s broader social transformation under its Vision 2030 program. The kingdom has introduced reforms across education, entertainment, tourism, employment and social life, seeking to present a more modern and internationally engaged image.
Education reform is particularly important because changes made to textbooks can influence how millions of students understand the outside world.
Israel Still Not Fully Recognized in Textbooks
Despite the removal of the “Zionist Enemy” terminology, the changes should not be interpreted as formal recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia.
Reports have noted that Israel has not necessarily been openly identified in all Saudi educational materials, while the Palestinian issue remains an important part of the curriculum. Previous studies also found that the word “Israel” was absent from some maps.
The continued use of “Israeli Occupation” demonstrates that the Saudi curriculum still reflects the kingdom’s position on the Palestinian territories and the wider Israeli-Palestinian dispute.
Therefore, the current changes represent more of a softening of language than a complete transformation of Saudi policy toward Israel.
International Reaction
The curriculum changes have attracted praise from some Israeli and American figures. In August 2026, Israeli-American Rabbi Yehuda Kaplon praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts to modify its educational materials and described the changes as part of a broader movement toward peace and coexistence.
Supporters argue that removing hostile language from textbooks can help reduce prejudice among young people and create an educational environment more conducive to dialogue.
The argument is that students should be taught history and political disputes without language that portrays entire populations or national groups as permanent enemies. From this perspective, replacing “Zionist Enemy” with “Israeli Occupation” represents a move toward more precise political terminology.
Why the Change Matters
Textbook language may appear to be a small issue, but it can have significant long-term consequences. School books are among the most influential sources through which young people learn about history, religion and international relations.
When governments change the terminology used to describe another country or community, they can influence how future generations perceive that country or community.
The removal of “Zionist Enemy” therefore carries symbolic importance. It removes an expression that defines Israel through the concept of enmity and replaces it with terminology centered on the political issue of occupation.
This may make it easier for future Saudi students to distinguish between criticism of Israeli government policies and broader attitudes toward Jewish people or Israelis.
A Continuing Process
The latest changes also demonstrate that Saudi Arabia’s curriculum reform remains an ongoing process rather than a single event.
IMPACT-se’s 2026 review reported continued improvements in several areas of the Saudi curriculum, while noting that some issues remain. The organization has monitored Saudi educational materials for years and has documented the gradual removal or modification of content it considers intolerant.
The reforms therefore need to be understood within a much longer timeline. Saudi textbooks have evolved from containing strongly confrontational descriptions toward language that is more measured and focused on political rather than religious confrontation.
What the Future Could Bring
The direction of Saudi Arabia’s curriculum could become increasingly important as the kingdom expands its international relationships and seeks a larger role in global diplomacy.
Any future Saudi-Israeli diplomatic developments could potentially influence educational materials, although curriculum changes alone should not be treated as proof of an impending diplomatic agreement.
For now, the removal of “Zionist Enemy” is best understood as another indication of Saudi Arabia’s changing approach to education and political language.
The kingdom has not abandoned its support for Palestinians, and the term “Israeli Occupation” continues to appear in educational material. However, the replacement of explicitly hostile terminology suggests an effort to present the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in less inflammatory language.
Conclusion
Saudi Arabia’s decision to remove the phrase “Zionist Enemy” from school textbooks and replace it with “Israeli Occupation” marks another notable stage in the country’s ongoing curriculum reforms.
The change follows years of revisions that have removed or softened controversial material concerning Jews, Christians, Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While Saudi Arabia continues to support the Palestinian cause and does not appear to have fully normalized its educational depiction of Israel, the language used in textbooks has clearly become less confrontational.
For Saudi students, these changes could mean learning about one of the world’s most complicated political conflicts through terminology that emphasizes historical and political issues rather than permanent enmity.
As Saudi Arabia continues its broader modernization program, its school curriculum is likely to remain an important indicator of the kingdom’s changing social outlook and its evolving approach to the wider world.
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