Texas curriculum changes on Israel join wave of state education reforms, including Iowa

Texas has joined a growing list of states, including Iowa, that have revised what public schools teach about Israel since 2023, a shift that reflects a broader national debate over how American students learn about the Middle East.

Earlier this month, the Texas State Board of Education approved new high school social studies standards that update the wording on Israel's establishment in 1948 and highlight moral and ethical teachings in the Torah as an influence on the United States. The board had already approved similar curriculum requirements for third grade in June, covering ancient Israel and its connections to America and Texas.

The revised standards will be implemented in third-grade classrooms in 2030-31 and in high school in 2033-34.

Other states, including Oklahoma, Iowa, Maryland, and Alabama, have also changed statewide standards in the past three years. In each case, the changes concerning Israel were part of broader revisions to social studies standards rather than standalone measures.

What Texas students will now learn about Israel

Under the new Texas standards, high school students taking U.S. History or World History will be expected to identify 1948 as the date of the establishment of the modern State of Israel, in the ancestral homeland of the Jews, and recognize U.S. President Truman as the first world leader to formally recognize Israel.

The previous 2022 standards mentioned American support for Israel and covered factors contributing to the Arab-Israeli conflict, but did not explicitly require students to identify 1948 or use the ancestral homeland wording. The new wording also removes phrasing that credits the United Nations with establishing Israel, focusing instead on Truman's recognition of the state.

In World History, Texas students will now study the contributions of ancient Hebrews, including monotheism and moral and ethical teachings found in the Torah, which influenced the development of Western civilizations. The previous standards already required students to study Judaism and the Judeo-Christian legal tradition but did not name the Torah specifically.

Critics and supporters weigh in on the changes

The changes have sparked debate online. Some critics have accused Texas of steering students toward a particular view of Israel, while others argue that Israel has long been taught in similar ways in Texas schools.

Texas State Board of Education member Brandon Hall defended the revisions, saying,

Israel is the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people, with a history stretching back more than 4,000 years. Our students deserve to know the full history of this land and its pivotal role in shaping world events from ancient history to the present day.

A former Texas social studies teacher noted that Israel was already part of the curriculum in some form, pushing back on claims that the changes represent a dramatic departure.

Iowa's approach to teaching about Israel

Iowa has also updated its social studies standards. Seventh-grade students in Iowa will learn about the evolution of the state of Israel, with topics including Zionism, Israel's 1948 independence, the Palestinian conflict, and Hamas, according to the state's revised standards presented to the Board of Education in January 2026.

The Iowa standards also recommend teaching antisemitism, covering both its historical roots and contemporary manifestations, including scapegoating and Holocaust denial.

Other states revising Israel lessons

Maryland revised its sixth- and seventh-grade social studies framework in 2025, listing an objective for students to analyze how the outcomes of the Holocaust influenced the founding of Israel. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is listed as an example of regional conflicts to study.

Oklahoma's 2026 social studies standards require high school students taking Modern World History to describe the creation of the modern State of Israel, including the rationale for its establishment, the Zionist movement, and the United Nations Partition Plan. The standards also ask students to explain how the 1948 war between Israel and five Arab states contributed to a refugee crisis and led to future conflicts.

Alabama approved a new social studies course of study in December 2024. Its ninth-grade standards ask students to describe the establishment of a unified Israel under Kings Saul, David, and Solomon, outline the multiple exiles of the Jewish people and their return to Israel, and trace the origin of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Context: The broader debate over Israel education

These changes have not been explicitly linked to the current Israel-Hamas conflict, but they have all taken place after October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza that has killed around 73,919 Palestinians as of Wednesday, according to Gaza health authorities.

The conflict sparked multiple protests on U.S. campuses and forms the backdrop to a wider debate over what American students are taught about Israel. For Iowa families and educators, the changes represent a significant shift in how the state's public schools will approach a complex and consequential topic.