Hachette Withdraws Textbooks Following Controversy Over October 7 Attacks

French publisher Hachette has announced the withdrawal of three high school textbooks that referred to the victims of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks in Israel as “Jewish settlers.” This terminology, typically associated with Israelis living in West Bank settlements, sparked significant backlash, particularly as the Gaza-area communities are within Israel’s internationally recognized borders. The textbooks stated, “In October 2023, following the deaths of more than 1,200 Jewish settlers in a series of Hamas attacks, Israel decided to tighten its economic blockade and invade a large part of the Gaza Strip, triggering a large-scale humanitarian crisis in the region.”

Times of IsraelBrussels Signal

French President Emmanuel Macron criticized the textbooks as “intolerable,” labeling the content a “falsification of the facts” and a form of revisionism. He emphasized that such relativism regarding the terrorist and antisemitic attacks by Hamas has no place in the Republic and called for government action. Hachette's chairman, Arnaud Lagardère, issued a personal apology to those affected and confirmed that an internal investigation is underway to understand how the erroneous content was included. The publisher has committed to ensuring that future educational materials adhere strictly to national education standards.

Brussels Signal

The response to the textbooks has been polarized. Yonathan Arfi, head of the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France (CRIF), condemned the text as a “falsification of history” and an unacceptable legitimization of terrorism, noting the omission of Hamas's designation as a terrorist organization. In contrast, the human rights NGO Action Droits des Musulmans defended the manual, arguing that it did not contain anti-Semitic content and that a factual history of the events requires careful analysis rather than emotional reactions.

Brussels Signal

The controversy comes amid a significant rise in antisemitic incidents in France, with reports indicating 1,570 such incidents in 2024, nearly four times the average level prior to the October 7 attacks. This increase has heightened sensitivities surrounding discussions of the conflict and its portrayal in educational materials.

Brussels Signal

Hachette has initiated a recall of approximately 2,000 copies of the textbooks, with unsold editions set to be destroyed. The publisher plans to republish the materials only after thorough review and correction. The incident has raised broader questions about the portrayal of sensitive historical events in educational contexts and the responsibilities of publishers in addressing such issues.

Brussels Signal

• “A baccalaureate revision manual that falsifies the facts: this is intolerable.” — Emmanuel Macron, President of France

Brussels Signal

• “’ The use of the word ‘settler’ and the absence of any mention of terrorism: This paragraph glorifies terrorism and is anti-Semitic.” — Union of Jewish High School Students in France

Brussels Signal