BEIRUT — The cover of a school textbook is having an unexpected impact on Lebanese education. The controversy arose Saturday, just a few days before public schools reopen for a new school year. The subject was the unauthorized reprinting of a civics textbook.

The book's cover depicts United Nations headquarters with an array of flags in front, including that of Israel. The textbook was reprinted because no publishing house responded to a call for tenders to reprint the textbook officially — payment for which would be in Lebanese lira, at a time when the national currency has witnessed record depreciation.

Lebanon does not recognize the state of Israel, and the Israeli flag is strictly forbidden in school textbooks. The word "Israel" is replaced by "Occupied Palestine" in educational texts.

In a press release, the Ministry of Education denounced "an increase in copies and reprints of textbooks published by the Center for Research and Pedagogical Development (CRDP), the latest being a civics textbook, for which the CRDP normally has exclusive rights guaranteed by the constitution."

The ministry warned schools against using textbooks that reproduce the Israeli flag, while calling on security forces to intervene to stop unauthorized reprints. The text explains, however, that this situation has been caused "by the current economic conditions ... and the fact that no publishing house is willing to participate in tenders for the printing of textbooks in Lebanese books."

NEWSRAEL: The picture attached is the actual photo that was in the book. For this, the Lebanese media was aflame for a week and the actually sent the Lebanese army to deal with destroying all copies.