UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has written to Encyclopaedia Britannica raising serious concerns about historically inaccurate and misleading content published on the Britannica Kids website.

UKLFI has identified repeated examples across children’s entries on Palestine, Israel and Judaism in which Israel is effectively erased from history — both geographically and historically — through the anachronistic and politicised use of terminology.

UKLFI highlighted that several Britannica Kids entries describe the entire area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea as “Palestine”, including in the present tense. In doing so, the material omits the existence of the State of Israel altogether.

Particularly concerning are undated maps accompanying these entries which shade the entirety of Israel and the Palestinian territories as “Palestine”, presenting a picture in which Israel does not exist at all. UKLFI warned that this mirrors some of the most extreme contemporary political narratives that deny Israel’s existence and legitimacy.

The letter also raises concerns about the retroactive application of the term “Palestine” to periods thousands of years before the name existed. Children are told that ancient Jewish kingdoms, biblical history and the origins of Judaism all took place in “Palestine”, despite the fact that the regions in question were historically known as Canaan, Judea, Samaria and the Galilee.

UKLFI explained that the term “Palestine” was only applied to the inland regions of Judea in 135 CE, when the Roman Empire renamed the province Syria Palaestina following the Bar Kochba Jewish revolt against Roman rule, in an explicit attempt to suppress Jewish connection to the land. Applying this name retrospectively creates a false impression of historical continuity and erases Jewish national identity from the historical record.

UKLFI warned that defining “Palestine” as extending “from the river to the sea” closely mirrors contemporary political slogans widely understood as calling for the elimination of Israel. The inclusion of this framing in children’s educational materials is particularly troubling, as it presents a modern political position as historical fact.

Terminology, especially in children’s education, shapes understanding. UKLFI emphasised that presenting a version of history in which Israel— both ancient and modern — is disappeared misinforms young readers and disproportionately impacts Jewish and Israeli communities.

UKLFI has called on Encyclopaedia Britannica to conduct a comprehensive review of its children’s and general entries, revise historically inaccurate terminology, correct misleading maps, and ensure that regional names are used accurately according to the historical period being described.

Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI commented: “Terminology matters, especially in children’s education. Presenting contested modern political narratives as historical fact undermines accurate learning and disproportionately affects Jewish and Israeli readers, whose history and identity are misrepresented or erased.

Educational content for children should clarify history, not confuse it. Using inaccurate and anachronistic terminology about Israel and Palestine risks shaping young minds with distorted and politicised narratives. These materials require urgent review and correction.”