Texas approves standards on Israel’s founding — Jerusalem Post
In Texas, the State Board of Education approved revised high school social studies standards. They provide, among other things, for studying 1948 as the year Israel was founded “on the ancestral land of the Jewish people,” as well as Christianity’s influence on U.S. history.
Implementation of the standards in 2030
As the Jerusalem Post reports, the Republican-controlled board approved the changes on September 4 by a vote of eight to four. According to the Houston Chronicle, the updated standards are planned to be implemented in 2030. Their official name is Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS.
Pro-Israel public organization Proclaiming Justice to the Nations (PJTN) said that the board adopted several of its recommendations concerning civics education, history, social studies and Holocaust instruction. At the same time, PJTN’s September 16 statement did not specify which of its proposals were included in the approved standards.
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Debate over CAIR’s participation
PJTN President Laurie Cardoza-Moore called during the hearing for greater attention to Judeo-Christian traditions in the formation of the United States. According to a transcript provided by her organization, she also questioned the participation of representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the education board hearings.
Cardoza-Moore referred to a decision by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who in November 2025 designated CAIR at the state level as a foreign terrorist organization. The Jerusalem Post notes that this state decision differs from the federal procedure for designation as a foreign terrorist organization.
CAIR filed a federal lawsuit, calling Abbott’s decision unconstitutional and defamatory. The organization also rejects allegations of ties to Hamas or the Muslim Brotherhood, stating that it is independent of foreign movements and condemns terrorism, including attacks carried out by Hamas. CAIR’s Austin office urged the board to reconsider the standards, arguing that their coverage of Islam could increase prejudice against Muslim students.
