Right-wing Jewish nationalists backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are moving closer to stripping Arabic of its longstanding status as an official language in Israel.
They are casting Arabic and those who encourage its presence as a threat to Israel's identity as a Jewish state and say it is vital to ensure complete and exclusive primacy for Hebrew.
Arab and left-wing Jewish critics say the change will further undermine the status of Israel's Arab minority, which makes up twenty per cent of the population and also send a message to the Middle East as a whole that Israel doesn't want to be part of the region. "Marginalisation of language is marginalisation of the citizens who speak that language," said former Knesset member Issam Makhoul as the Knesset marked its third annual Arabic Language Day last Tuesday in the shadow of the right-wing push. The day included presentations by Members of the Knesset, civil society groups and scholars on the status of the language.
The proposed change is part of the fervently nationalistic bill "Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People", that passed its first reading in May. Mr Netanyahu said last week he wants it to pass second and third readings and become law by the end of the current Knesset session on July 18.
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The bill specifies that Hebrew is the "state language" and that the right of self-determination in Israel is reserved exclusively for Jews. Its provisions enable residential communities to be established for Jews only, barring Arabs in a move critics liken to apartheid. Arabic was designated an official language under the British mandate, and Israel formally maintained this status. Now, however, under the bill it will no longer be official but rather is defined vaguely as having a "special status." In an apparent palliative to critics of the demotion, the bill says that nothing should be done "to harm the standing of Arabic in practice as it is on the eve of this basic law going into force."
Going after Arabic—and the nationality bill as a whole—are part of Mr Netanyahu's tactic to increase his support through anti-Arab stances and statements, according to Leslie Susser, former political editor of The Jerusalem Report magazine. "By playing the anti-Arab card, he's able to get votes for free, he's able to get support from the Israeli right, which is most of Israel," Mr Susser said.
Despite Arabic being an official language, it was never in practice equal to Hebrew, says Yoni Mendel, the author of the Creation of Israeli Arabic and a scholar at the Van Leer Institute think-tank in Jerusalem. "Many ministries do not translate their websites, you can't really correspond with authorities in Arabic, you can't get your high school matriculation statement in Arabic and there is no simultaneous translation of Knesset sessions," he said.
In the face of sluggishness to use Arabic, Arab rights organisations have petitioned the courts to enforce and promote its use, with marked success. In some cases, the very knowledge that there is legal recourse for Arabic advocates is enough to elicit translations into Arabic. Arab MK Jamal Zahalka said he recently successfully intervened with Haifa University to promote Arabic on campus. "They responded positively because they knew that if they didn't, the supreme court would force them," he said. "If now Arabic loses its official status, it will be a heavy blow because we won't be able to use the courts to force authorities and institutions to use Arabic."
That is exactly what backers of the bill want. They say limiting the use of Arabic in the public sphere is essential to protecting Israel's Jewish identity. "The approach that is at the basis of the law, which I think is justified, is that bilingualism of the state is really a significant expression of binationalism," said Adi Arbel, who represented the Institute for Zionist Strategies, a right-wing think tank, in Knesset deliberations on the drafting of the nationality bill. "There is sharp opposition against the Arab population and mainly the Arab Knesset members using the language as a way to gnaw away at the status of the state of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. The attempts to diminish the supremacy of the Hebrew language in the public sphere are part of the attempts of the Arabs of Israel, of the leaders of the Arabs of Israel, to come out against the idea of the state of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people."
Mr Mendel, the Israeli scholar of Arabic, has a different perspective on Arabic's impending demotion. "This is part of the new Israeli nationalistic, to say the least, policies that do not see the Arab citizens of Israel as equals or as citizens."
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
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Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The Abu Dhabi Awards explained:
What are the awards? They honour anyone who has made a contribution to life in Abu Dhabi.
Are they open to only Emiratis? The awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or nationality, living anywhere in the world.
When do nominations close? The process concludes on December 31.
How do I nominate someone? Through the website.
When is the ceremony? The awards event will take place early next year.
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Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The years Ramadan fell in May
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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The specs
Engine: 3.6 V6
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Power: 295bhp
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