Texas Adopts New Social Studies Curriculum Including Israel’s History

The U.S. state of Texas has adopted new social studies standards that require public schools to teach students about aspects of Israel’s history, Judaism, the Holocaust and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The Texas State Board of Education approved the new social studies standards as part of a broader overhaul of what students will learn in public schools. The standards use a more chronological approach to teaching history and cover subjects ranging from ancient civilizations to modern geopolitical developments.

The updated standards include material on Judaism, ancient Israel, the Holocaust and modern Israel and the Middle East. Students are also expected to study factors contributing to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The standards include historical references to the establishment of Israel and the positions taken by Arab states toward the country.

However, teaching about Israel is not entirely new to Texas classrooms. Previous Texas social studies standards already required students to study Israel, Judaism, the Holocaust and the Arab-Israeli conflict. The 2026 changes revise and reorganize the standards as part of the state’s wider curriculum overhaul.

The Israel-related material is only one part of the wider changes approved by the State Board of Education. The new standards place greater emphasis on chronological history, American history and civic knowledge. The board also adopted a required literature reading list containing biblical stories and other works as part of the broader curriculum changes.

The revised high-school social studies standards were formally considered for final adoption in September, covering U.S. history, U.S. government, world history and world geography.

The changes have generated debate in Texas. Supporters describe the overhaul as an effort to provide students with a stronger foundation in history and Western civilization, while critics have raised concerns about the treatment of Islam, Judaism and other perspectives in the revised standards.

The updated curriculum therefore represents a broader restructuring of Texas social studies education, with Israel and the history of the Middle East forming part of the material students will encounter.