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Azerbaijan Becomes First Muslim-Majority Country to Include Antisemitism Definition in School Curriculum
Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, addresses the “Summit of the Future” in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 23, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs
Azerbaijan has become the first Muslim-majority country to include a definition of antisemitism in its textbooks, according to a new repot assessing the Azerbaijani educational system.
The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), a nonprofit organization that analyzes schoolbooks and curricula around the world, examined 53 textbooks from Azerbaijan’s national curriculum, identifying significant improvements, such as the removal of anti-Israel narratives and the absence of Islamist rhetoric.
As part of a series on Central Asian curricula produced in collaboration with the Ruderman Family Foundation, IMPACT-se is also examining the educational systems of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
The new report released on Thursday not only highlights the inclusion of positive portrayals of Jews and Israel in Azerbaijan’s textbooks but also notes that these textbooks acknowledge the Holocaust as a mass genocide in which six million Jews were murdered.
According to the London-based NGO, Azerbaijan’s national curriculum promotes ideals of diversity and tolerance, and offers a balanced view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The study did not find signs of Islamism or radicalism, instead noting a focus on a secular and inclusive national identity.
“Azerbaijan promotes the freedom of religion and tolerance, creating an open environment for all religions to flourish, including Judaism,” the study concluded. “Students are taught the value of tolerance and harmony in modern society, and examples of Jewish prayer and rituals are incorporated into the curriculum.”
The report highlighted “promising progress and developments” in the revisions made for the 2024-25 school year, with Judaism being “highly regarded in the textbooks” and some Biblical narratives included in the education system.
For example, one key aspect was the inclusion of a definition of antisemitism, making Azerbaijan the first Muslim-majority country to do so and, according to the report, reflecting its commitment to promoting tolerance and fighting racism.
In line with these goals, the country’s national curriculum also correctly portrays the Holocaust as a genocide of six million Jews, highlighting antisemitic measures such as arbitrary killings and imprisonment rather than trying to downplay or deny the Nazis’ atrocities.
“Antisemitism and the Holocaust are addressed within the framework of rejecting racism and totalitarian regimes,” the study said.
The report also found that these textbooks explain the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a more balanced way, attributing its origins to Arab rejection of the 1947 UN Partition Plan and using terms like “taken over” or “captured” instead of “occupied” when referring to territories under Israeli control.
New revisions removed references to Zionism as racist and reclassified Palestinian violence, once called “guerrilla warfare,” as terrorism, acknowledging its negative global impact. Additionally, geography textbooks now recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Despite these advancements, IMPACT-se highlighted the lack of Azerbaijani Jewish history and broader Jewish historical narratives, pointing to this as an area for further improvement.
However, the findings in “Israel and Jews in Azerbaijani Education,” the title of the Impact-se report, are the latest signs of the friendly relations between the two countries. Israel is presented as an ally, with references to shared military expertise, and derogatory references to domestic and international policy have been tempered.
“The textbooks demonstrate a clear rejection of the extreme Islamist values promoted by their near-neighbor Iran,” IMPACT–se CEO Marcus Sheff said in a statement. “Instead, they promote tolerance, diversity, and a heartfelt respect for Jews and Israel, which serves as an important model for many other majority-Muslim states.”
Azerbaijan’s ties with Israel have long been significant, with the country serving as the Jewish state’s most vital ally in the Caucasus and Central Asia for more than three decades, fostering a partnership that spans energy security, defense, and intelligence.
Last week, Israel and Azerbaijan’s state oil company, SOCAR, struck a major energy deal, marking one of the latest examples of Azerbaijan’s emerging role as a strategic player in the Middle East.
The post Azerbaijan Becomes First Muslim-Majority Country to Include Antisemitism Definition in School Curriculum first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Netanyahu Criticizes Nation-Wide Strike That ‘Strengthens Hamas’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 2, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday harshly criticized nationwide demonstrations calling for the release of hostages and an end to the Gaza war.
Speaking at a government meeting, Netanyahu argued that such protests only strengthen Hamas and risk repeating the atrocities of October 7.
“Those who call today for an end to Hamas’s war not only harden the terrorist group’s position and delay the release of our hostages, but also guarantee that the horrors of October 7 will be repeated and that we will have to fight an endless war,” Netanyahu said.
The prime minister defended Israel’s ongoing military operations, citing strikes carried out in recent days: “In the last 24 hours, the navy attacked power stations in Yemen, IDF soldiers struck Zeitoun and eliminated dozens of terrorists in Gaza, and the air force targeted Hezbollah commanders and launch sites in Lebanon.”
He added that Israel’s response in Lebanon was consistent with the ceasefire agreement: “According to this agreement, we will meet with fire any violation and any attempt to arm Hezbollah.”
Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s conditions for ending the conflict, stressing the need for continued security control in Gaza and the group’s long-term demilitarization. He rejected Hamas’s demand for a full Israeli withdrawal: “They want us to leave Gaza entirely — from the north, the south, the Philadelphi corridor, and the security perimeter. That would only allow them to reorganize, rearm, and attack us again.”
The war has now entered its 681st day, with 49 hostages still held by Hamas.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Israelis joined a general strike organized by the Hostage Families Forum, calling for the return of all captives in a single deal and for an end to the war. Demonstrations spread across the country, at major intersections, government ministers’ homes, and familiar protest hubs such as Kaplan Junction and the Ayalon highways.
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Family Releases Footage of Matan Zangauker in Captivity
A screenshot of a video released by the family of hostage Matan Zangauker.
i24 News – The family of Matan Zangauker, the Israeli hostage held by Hamas since October 7, shared new footage of him from captivity on Sunday evening.
The video, obtained by the IDF, was recorded several months ago.
In the recording, 32-year-old Matan looks directly into the camera, addressing his loved ones: “Tato, Shani, Ilana, I miss you. God willing, we’ll see each other soon. All my friends and acquaintances, go out and make noise like only you know how.”
Matan was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, along with his partner Ilana Gritsievsky, who was released in a hostage deal last year. Since then, Matan has remained in Hamas custody while his family continues to fight for his return.
On the national protest day calling for the release of hostages, Ilana staged a poignant display at Hostages Square. Dressed in a wedding gown beneath a chuppah, she symbolically “married” Matan in his absence. “Matan, my curly-haired one, if you hadn’t been abducted, we could already be married. In a single day, our world was destroyed, and you’re not here to hold me. I’m fighting for you until you come back,” she said.
Matan’s mother, Einav, has emerged as a leading voice in the campaign for the hostages’ release and has sharply criticized Israel’s political leadership, accusing them of undermining potential hostage deals.
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Hamas Rejects Israel’s Gaza Relocation Plan
Palestinians, displaced by the Israeli offensive, shelter in a tent camp as the Israeli military prepares to relocate residents to southern Gaza, in Gaza City August 17, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Palestinian terrorist group Hamas said on Sunday that Israel’s plan to relocate residents from Gaza City constitutes a “new wave of genocide and displacement” for hundreds of thousands of residents in the area.
The group said the planned deployment of tents and other shelter equipment by Israel into southern Gaza was a “blatant deception.”
The Israeli military has said it is preparing to provide tents and other equipment starting from Sunday ahead of its plan to relocate residents from combat zones to the south of the enclave “to ensure their safety.”
Hamas said in a statement that the deployment of tents under the guise of humanitarian purposes is a blatant deception intended to “cover up a brutal crime that the occupation forces prepare to execute.”
Israel said earlier this month that it intended to launch a new offensive to seize control of northern Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban center. The plan has raised international alarm over the fate of the demolished strip, which is home to about 2.2 million people.