Israel Lawmakers Push Hebrew-Only Bill
Right wing lawmaker Orit Strock is pushing to make Hebrew the sole official language of Israel. Image by getty images
A group of right-wing Israeli lawmakers are proposing a bill to make Hebrew the sole official language of the state of Israel.
The bill, which has the support of Knesset members from the Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Jewish Home parties, would break from current law, which mandates that Arabic as well as Hebrew must be used in a wide variety of official functions, including in the court system, government ministries, and official government forms and announcements, Haaretz reported.
That law dates back to the period of the British Mandate.
Under the proposed bill, highway signs would still have to include Arabic.
The bill was proposed by lawmaker Shimon Ohayon of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party and has the support of David Rotem and Hamad Amar from the same party, as well as Moshe Feiglin of the Likud Party and Orit Strock of the Jewish Home Party.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
