Greece alters school textbook passage on Palestinian children living under Israeli occupation
According to the Independent Balkan News Agency (IBNA), Greece’s Institute of Educational Policy (IEP) has revised a passage in a 9th-grade Greek language textbook that previously described the lives of Palestinian children under Israeli occupation and the peaceful resistance movement known as the Intifada, which began in 1987.
The revised content replaces the original text with a new passage generated by artificial intelligence, titled “Children May Grow Up Differently.” The new version is not linked to any specific geographical context and avoids reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Greek Deputy Minister of Education, Religion, and Sports, Konstantinos Vlasis, stated in a parliamentary address that the decision to alter the passage was made after the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece expressed concern over the original content.
Vlasis defended the change as a step toward "balance and neutrality."
The term Intifada, derived from Arabic, refers to a civil and peaceful uprising against the Israeli occupation and violence that has persisted since 1948. However, pro-Israel groups have sought to reframe the Intifada as an incitement to violence and antisemitism.
