The mask of multiculturalism: Epistemic control and the shaping of ethno-national consciousness in Israeli geography curricula

This article critically examines the relationships between power, knowledge, and space through an analysis of Israeli geographic education, illuminating how dominant national narratives survive superficial multicultural reforms. Despite official policy changes toward multiculturalism since the early 2000s, geography textbooks continue to function as tools of epistemic control through national literacies, reinforcing ethno-national spatial consciousness while systematically excluding Palestinian collective memory. The study focuses on the persistent silencing of the Nakba, a foundational element of Palestinian identity and a direct counter-narrative to Zionism, revealing how power operates by neutralizing difference rather than overtly rejecting it. This strategy ensures that the foundational territorial narrative remains uncontested while maintaining a rhetorical commitment to multicultural principles. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines critical content analysis of state-approved textbooks with survey data from Jewish students (n=90) and geography teachers (n=16). The findings demonstrate that multicultural discourse has failed to meaningfully disrupt dominant narratives or expand the boundaries of cultural recognition. Geographic education continues to symbolically delineate “us” and “them,” reinforcing national-Zionist spatial representations despite official multicultural rhetoric. Through comparative analysis, including Turkey, India, Hungary, France, the United States, and Canada, the study situates the Israeli case within a broader pattern of how nation-states manage cultural diversity while maintaining control over knowledge and memory.