A comprehensive new analysis of Jordan's educational materials has uncovered disturbing content that contradicts the kingdom's reputation as a “moderate” voice in the Middle East.
The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) released findings in May 2025 showing that Jordanian textbooks contain antisemitic messaging, glorification of violent jihad, and hostile rhetoric toward Jews and Israel—despite simultaneously claiming to promote tolerance and religious moderation.
The report examined 294 textbooks from Jordan's national curriculum covering the 2023-2025 academic years across subjects, including Islamic Education, Arabic Language, Social Studies, National and Civic Education, History, and Geography.
The findings reveal a curriculum marked by stark contradictions that challenge Jordan's role as a key Western ally and peace partner with Israel.
One striking issue from IMPACT-se’s findings is the curriculum's internal inconsistency. On one hand, Jordanian textbooks purport themselves as promoting religious moderation, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence, frequently referencing the landmark 2004 Amman Message, which emphasizes the importance of tolerance and religious moderation.
Visual imagery in a Grade 7 Social Studies textbook depicts people of diverse backgrounds standing together in harmony, while Civic Education materials teach conflict resolution through practical examples of resolving disagreements with classmates and family members.
However, these positive messages coexist alongside deeply troubling content that promotes prejudice and hostility. Marcus Sheff, CEO of IMPACT-se, expressed particular concern about this contradiction, noting that "Jordan is both a key Western ally in the region and Israel's long-standing peace partner," making the curriculum's hostile content "particularly disappointing and concerning."
‘Jews are naturally treacherous’
The study identified pervasive antisemitic content that perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Jewish people. A Grade 9 Islamic Education textbook explicitly teaches that "treachery and violation of agreements are some of the traits of the Jews and their natural qualities." This characterization presents negative traits as inherent to Jewish identity rather than examining historical contexts or individual actions.
Economic antisemitism also features prominently in the curriculum. Islamic Education materials claim that Jews "controlled the economy" of ancient Medina through "exploitation" and usury, requiring Muhammad's intervention to save "Muslim society from the Jews' control over the economy." Such narratives reinforce dangerous stereotypes about Jewish economic influence and control.
Particularly troubling is the curriculum's treatment of the Holocaust. Despite covering World War II, textbooks conspicuously omit any mention of the Holocaust or other Nazi atrocities. Instead, the materials appear to excuse Nazi Germany's actions as a response to "humiliating sanctions" imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, effectively minimizing one of history's greatest genocides.
While acknowledging jihad as a complex concept, Jordanian textbooks consistently lean toward militant interpretations. A Grade 10 Islamic Education textbook teaches that jihad includes fighting enemies and protecting the nation, while portraying martyrdom as a religious ideal. More concerning, a Grade 12 textbook warns of "dangers awaiting those who fail to uphold the duty of jihad against combatant infidels."
The curriculum often frames violent struggle through the lens of Jordan's historical conflicts with Israel, presenting “armed resistance” as part of national heritage. Poetry in Grade 10 Arabic Language textbooks romanticizes death in combat, with verses depicting throwing oneself "into the pits of death" and embracing "a death that enrages the enemy" over life itself.
Justifying the massacre
Perhaps most alarmingly, a 2024 Grade 10 National and Civic Education textbook contains content justifying the October 7th Hamas attacks. The material frames the destruction of "Israeli colonies"—referring to communities within internationally recognized Israeli territory—as legitimate resistance to oppression. This characterization effectively presents the civilian victims of the attack as legitimate targets.
In other instances, the massacre is downplayed and presented as a natural response to “Israeli oppression,” conveniently ignoring the murder of over 1,100 Israelis, most of them civilians. Civilians who were taken hostage are referred to as “settlers” living in “Israeli colonies which surround the Gaza Strip” implicitly justifying their murder and kidnapping.
As Sheff noted, "October 7 was the most brutal attack against Jews since the Holocaust, yet it is described in textbooks as legitimate resistance," highlighting the dangerous disconnect between educational content and international humanitarian norms.
Despite Jordan's historic 1994 peace treaty with Israel, the curriculum largely omits this landmark agreement. When mentioned, textbooks frame the treaty not as a step toward reconciliation but as a reluctant move to curb Israeli "greedy aspirations" and reclaim "stolen" territories. The materials conspicuously ignore and thus also inherently reject significant peace-building moments, such as King Hussein's emotional visits to families of Israeli schoolgirls killed by a Jordanian soldier in 1997.
Geographic materials further this erasure by largely removing Israel from maps, while historical content promotes conspiracy theories, such as falsely blaming Israel for the 1969 Al-Aqsa Mosque arson—actually committed by an Australian Christian extremist.
The study also identified concerning content regarding homosexuality, with new homophobic material appearing in recent editions. A Grade 12 Islamic Education textbook asks students to explain "the danger posed by sexual perversion and homosexual propaganda" to humanity's continued existence, representing a deterioration from previous textbook versions.
The IMPACT-se report concludes that, in view of Jordan's position as a moderate voice and peace partner, the presence of such contents is particularly challenging for regional stability and interfaith relations; while contradiction between promoting tolerance while simultaneously fostering prejudice suggests a need for comprehensive curriculum reform to align educational materials with Jordan's stated commitment to peace and moderation.