Hachette Withdraws Textbooks After Controversial ‘Jewish Settler’ Reference

French publisher Hachette announced the recall of three high school textbooks that referred to victims of the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel as "Jewish settlers." This terminology has sparked significant backlash.

The horrific attacks, which represented one of the deadliest days in Israeli history, saw approximately 1,200 individuals killed by Hamas militants, primarily in settlements near the Gaza Strip and during a music festival.

The textbooks in question labeled all victims as "Jewish settlers," a term often associated with Israelis living in territories regarded as occupied. The manuals further stated, "In October 2023, after over 1,200 Jewish settlers died in a series of Hamas attacks, Israel imposed stricter economic measures and launched an invasion of a significant portion of Gaza, leading to a humanitarian crisis."

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the language used in these textbooks as "intolerable," describing it as a "falsification of the facts" and an act of revisionism.

Yonathan Arfi, the head of the French Jewish group Crif, criticized the texts for misrepresenting history and failing to classify Hamas as a terrorist organization, which he deemed unacceptable.

Arnaud Lagardere, Hachette's chairman, publicly apologized to those affected, including educators, parents, and students. The company has initiated an internal investigation and is in the process of recalling around 2,000 copies of the manuals.

The October 7 attack resulted in 1,221 deaths and numerous hostages taken, while estimates suggest that Israeli bombardments in Gaza have led to over 70,000 casualties, with about 80% of infrastructure reported damaged.

Since a ceasefire began in October, Israeli forces have reportedly killed at least 447 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health ministry data.