IMPACT-se Report: European Textbooks: France Review

A May 2025 IMPACT-se report examines how French history textbooks and curricula depict Jews, Judaism, anti-Semitism, the Holocaust, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the materials largely align with UNESCO standards—particularly in Holocaust education and the framing of Israel’s founding, significant gaps remain. Jewish history is often reduced to victimhood, with little attention to Jewish contributions to French society or the deep historical connection to Israel. Ancient Judaism is treated mainly as a precursor to other religions, and modern Jewish voices are underrepresented. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is oversimplified, and key historical nuances are missing. The report offers targeted recommendations to improve historical balance and representation.

The following is an executive summary of the report. For the full report, click here. 

This report analyzes the representation of Jews, Judaism, anti-semitism, the Holocaust, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in French history textbooks and the official curriculum. The analysis includes high school textbooks (Grades 10-12) and the official History state curriculum for Grades 4-9.
The report finds that the content broadly conforms to UNESCO standards in its coverage of this material. It notes that the Holocaust is covered in detail and accurately described as a “genocide of Jews and Gypsies” within the context of the Nazi “war of annihilation.” The radical Nazi ideology is presented, and Jews are explicitly identified as victims, with the figure of six million Jewish deaths cited. Some textbooks include a firsthand account of a Jewish child to illustrate the persecution of Jews. The establishment of the State of Israel is addressed within the context of post–World War II geopolitical reordering and decolonization, often framed as a response to European anti-Semitism. Textbooks sometimes link Theodor Herzl’s coverage of the Dreyfus Affair to the emergence of Zionism, illustrating the connection between these events. Some textbooks incorporate Israel’s Declaration of Independence as a primary source document, which is seen as an effective pedagogical tool.

However, the report highlights several notable gaps and areas for improvement. There is a notable absence in the depiction of Jewish contributions to French society throughout history and in detailing the Jewish connection to Israel before its founding in 1948. Ancient Jewish history is often implicitly acknowledged as a precursor to Christianity and Islam, but without explicitly presenting Judaism as a distinct religion with its own historical and cultural identity. Jewish contributions to trade, scientific advancement, and philosophical discourse within Christian and Muslim contexts are largely overlooked.

Jewish history is frequently framed through the lens of victimization, with a strong emphasis on persecution, which tends to overshadow more positive and multifaceted aspects of Jewish life. The role of the Jewish community in French public life is largely underrepresented, and key historical figures and intellectuals who contributed significantly to French culture and political activism are insufficiently acknowledged. Significant events in French Jewish history, such as the expulsion of Jews, persecution during the Crusades, and their status during the Enlightenment and the era of emancipation, are either omitted or only briefly mentioned. The contributions of contemporary Jewish communities are rarely acknowledged.

While textbooks address anti-Semitism and include examples like the Vichy regime’s policies, they often lack historical depth and contemporary relevance. Recent resurgences of anti-Semitism are notably absent. When the Holocaust is discussed alongside the persecution of the Roma people, the unique ideological underpinnings of the Shoah are not fully explored, missing an opportunity to distinguish the distinct motivations behind each genocide. There is also a tendency to downplay the extent of the Vichy regime’s active participation in the identification, arrest, and deportation of Jews from France.
Discussions of Zionism often have notable gaps, with little exploration of its diverse ideological strands and only limited attention given to Israel’s sociopolitical makeup, restricting a comprehensive understanding of Israeli identity. The use of terms like “Zionist settlers” can be misleading. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is heavily focused upon, often overlooking the historical Jewish connection to the land and the impact of the Holocaust on the founding of the state. The historical context for peace efforts and the complexities of the conflict are sometimes oversimplified or lack detail.

The report includes policy recommendations for teachers, policymakers, and textbook authors to address these issues. These recommendations advocate for portraying Jews as active historical agents, integrating Jewish history into core narratives, and connecting Jewish experiences to contemporary relevance and local contexts. They also suggest specific historical periods and contexts where integrating Jewish history can be enriched.

Source: ”European Textbooks: France Review,” IMPACT-se, (May 27, 2025).