RSS
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.
RSS
Trump Envoy Says US Expects Phase Two of Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal to Proceed

US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy-designate Steve Witkoff gives a speech at the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena on the inauguration day of Trump’s second presidential term, in Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday the US expects the second phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal to go forward and that he would visit the Middle East in the coming week.
Witkoff made the comments in a CNN “State of the Union” interview after being asked about Israel’s decision to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees and how he expected the ceasefire to be impacted by developments in the region.
“We have to get an extension of phase one,” Witkoff said. “I’ll be going to the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate that.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Sunday Israel was waiting to deliver 620 Palestinian prisoners and detainees “until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies.” Hamas handed over six hostages from Gaza on Saturday.
Some Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and detainees have been released as part of a three-phase ceasefire in Gaza that went into effect just before Trump took office on January 20.
Palestinian officials have cited the blindfolding and binding of hands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees and warnings against holding celebrations at their release as examples of their humiliation by Israeli authorities.
Israel cites Hamas making hostages appear on stage in front of crowds and sometimes speak before they are handed over, as well as parading coffins with hostage remains through crowds.
Witkoff told CNN that Netanyahu was “well-motivated” and that Hamas cannot continue to govern Gaza.
Trump himself has faced international condemnation for his proposal to take over Gaza and permanently displace Palestinians there. Rights experts and the United Nations have called it a proposal for ethnic cleansing.
The post Trump Envoy Says US Expects Phase Two of Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal to Proceed first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israel Won’t Allow HTS Forces in Southern Syria, Netanyahu Says

A person waves a flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers, as people gather during a celebration called by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) near the Umayyad Mosque, after the ousting of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, Photo: December 20, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad/File Photo
Israel on Sunday said it will not tolerate presence of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in southern Syria, nor any other forces affiliated with the country’s new rulers, and demanded the territory be demilitarized.
Former Al Qaeda affiliate HTS took control of Damascus on December 8 in a stunning offensive, ending then-president Bashar al-Assad’s rule and prompting a wary Israel to move forces into a U.N.-monitored demilitarized zone within Syria.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will keep its positions there as a defensive measure and for as long as is necessary.
“We will not allow forces of the HTS or the new Syrian army to enter the territory south of Damascus. We demand full demilitarization of southern Syria, in the provinces of Quneitra, Daraa and Sweida,” Netanyahu said at a military graduation ceremony.
“And we will not tolerate any threat to the Druze sect in southern Syria,” he added. The Druze, who practice an offshoot of Islam, are a minority group in Syria as well as Israel.
Syria has demanded Israel withdraw its forces from the country. The United Nations says Israel’s move into Syrian territory is a violation of international agreements and has also called for the troops to be withdrawn.
The post Israel Won’t Allow HTS Forces in Southern Syria, Netanyahu Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Bibas Family Thanks Israel for ‘Warm Embrace’ in ‘Moment of Crisis’

Ariel and Kfir Bibas. Photo: Hostages and Missing Families Forum
i24 News – The Bibas family thanked Israelis for their ongoing support on Sunday, following their receiving the bodies of Kfir, Ariel, and Shiri last week.
“During these painful and difficult days, there are no words to describe the level of gratitude that we feel towards all of you,” the family said in a statement. “The warm embrace, the love and the strength that you have sent us from all over Israel and the world strength us and accompany us during these moments of crisis.”
The bodies of four-year-old Ariel and nine-month-old Kfir were returned to Israel on Thursday, along with 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz. Another body, purportedly belonging to Shiri, was also returned, although forensic tests identified her as an unknown Gazan woman.
Her body was transferred over the weekend, ahead of the release of six living Israeli hostages.
“We sense the open hearts, the enormous embrace, your pain alongside our pain – which we don’t take for granted,” the statement said.
The funerals will be held on Wednesday, with the family requesting it remain a small ceremony “only be for members of the family and close friends.”
That being said, the Bibas family said it appreciated the support, and wished to make room for well-wishers by publishing the route of the funeral procession. Eulogies will be broadcast, with details forthcoming.
“We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts – for the love, for the embrace, for the tears that we have all shed,” the statement said. “We don’t have sufficient words to express our appreciation for all that you have given us at this time.”
“Please respect our choice to say our goodbyes during these final moments in the way that is right for us. The knowledge that you are with us, that your hearts are beating alongside ours, strengthens us with every breath.”
The post Bibas Family Thanks Israel for ‘Warm Embrace’ in ‘Moment of Crisis’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.