Pakistani school textbooks incite hatred against Israel and Jews – report

Textbooks in Pakistani schools promote antisemitism and demonization of Israel, according to a new report published by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se).

IMPACT-se is a British and Israeli-based NGO focused on monitoring school systems worldwide and promoting tolerance. The report’s conclusion is based on an examination of over 80 Pakistani textbooks in subjects, including Islamic education, history, civics and cultural studies.

While some textbooks were found to promote tolerance, the report revealed that most foster hostility toward Jews and Israel.

For example, Pakistani textbooks promote antisemitic stereotypes with classic antisemitic accusations of conspiracies and treachery, according to the study. In addition, the schoolbooks omit Judaism from the religion sections and students are not taught about the Holocaust.

One Pakistani textbook praised Adolf Hitler for “restoring German pride” without reference to the mass killing of six million Jews or other Nazi crimes during World War II. In addition, Pakistani schoolbooks present the State of Israel as an adversary of Muslims.

The current war in Gaza is exclusively blamed on Israel, with no mention of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 people were taken hostage.

“Given Pakistan’s prominent regional role, its nuclear status, and large percentage of young people in a population of 240 million, this curriculum has far-reaching consequences,” IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff warned.

“What is taught in classrooms today will define Pakistan’s future global outlook, including its relationship with Israel and the Jewish people. There is a pressing need for curriculum reform that prioritizes inclusion, greater respect for Jews and others, and a more peaceful education,” he continued.

Pakistan does not recognize the State of Israel, and there are no official diplomatic relations between the two nations.

In May, Indian researcher Ratnadeep Chakraborty warned that Pakistan plays a central role in disseminating antisemitism across the globe.

He told The Times of Israel that "Pakistan is not just an antisemitic state – it is a factory exporting antisemitism to the entire world. This is a strategic threat that Israel cannot afford to keep ignoring," he assessed.

"Pakistan is a textbook case of 'antisemitism without Jews,'" Chakraborty said. "It is a country with perhaps a few dozen Jews – yet antisemitism there is alive, breathing, and passed on to every new generation."

The Indian scholar specifically warned about Pakistanis living abroad throughout the Middle East, Europe and the United States.

"Pakistan has 9 million citizens living abroad. These are people who were raised on antisemitic educational foundations. They carry this hatred with them to Europe, America, and the Middle East – and sometimes act on it," he assessed. The United Kingdom has a particularly large population of Pakistani immigrants.

Despite widespread hostility toward Jews and Israel, a few encouraging developments with Pakistan have begun to emerge.

In March, an unofficial Pakistani delegation traveled to Israel with the aim of building people-to-people bridges between the two countries. During the visit, the group toured Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Center and the Knesset in Jerusalem. They also visited several communities targeted in the Hamas attacks, including Kibbutz Aza and the site of the Nova Music Festival.

Pakistani journalist Qaisar Abbas explained his reasons for visiting Israel.

"As journalists, we have no boundaries in pursuing information and truth from around the globe. It's not about Israel specifically but about the entire world. This quest for knowledge brought us here,” he said.

Abbas said he felt at home in Israel and predicted that the countries would establish relations in the future.

“I estimate within 10-20 years, or perhaps sooner, relations will normalize. Particularly if Saudi Arabia formalizes an agreement with Israel in the next two or three years, Pakistan will almost certainly follow,” he said.