Hachette has recalled a Larousse school dictionary after an entry described victims of the October 7 attacks as "Jewish settlers," and said it will review all educational materials. Four titles with the phrase were withdrawn and will be destroyed. The publisher has launched an internal inquiry and pledged stronger verification processes, while President Macron condemned the wording as "intolerable" and warned against revisionism.
Hachette Recalls Larousse School Dictionary After 'Jewish Settlers' Entry Sparks Outcry
The dictionary described victims of the October 7 attacks as 'Jewish settlers' (JOEL SAGET)(JOEL SAGET/AFP/AFP)
French publisher Hachette said on Friday it has recalled a Larousse school dictionary for 11- to 15-year-olds after an entry described Israeli victims of the October 7, 2023 attacks as "Jewish settlers." The company said it will review all its textbooks, revision guides and educational materials.
The contested dictionary entry stated: "In October 2023, following the death 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 major humanitarian crisis in the region." Hachette told AFP the same wording had earlier been identified by an anti-racism body in three revision books.
Hachette said the four titles containing the phrase were immediately withdrawn from sale, are subject to a recall procedure and will be destroyed. The publisher announced a "thorough review of its textbooks, educational materials and dictionaries" and pledged to introduce "a new, strengthened verification process for all its future publications" in these series.
Internal Inquiry and Political Reaction
France's largest publishing group — taken over at the end of 2023 by the businessman Vincent Bolloré — has opened an internal inquiry "to determine how such an error was made," Hachette added.
President Emmanuel Macron said it was "intolerable" that revision books for the baccalauréat exam "falsify the facts" about the "terrorist and antisemitic attacks by Hamas," adding: "Revisionism has no place in the Republic."
The wording sparked widespread criticism in France because the phrase "Jewish settlers" typically denotes Israelis living in settlements on land considered by many to be illegally occupied under international law — a distinction that can change how victims and locations are described in historical and educational texts.
Casualty Figures Cited
AFP, citing official Israeli figures, reports that Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks resulted in 1,221 deaths and 251 people taken hostage. Gaza authorities estimate that more than 70,000 people have died during subsequent Israeli military operations, and UN data says nearly 80% of buildings in the territory have been destroyed or damaged. The Hamas-run health ministry reported that at least 447 Palestinians were killed in Gaza after a ceasefire took effect in October.
Hachette's recall and pledge to tighten editorial checks follow intense public and political scrutiny, underscoring the sensitivity of language and fact-checking in educational publishing.
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