From the Liveblog of
Sunday, December 29, 2024
Government says plan to promote Hebrew among Arab Israelis will ‘open doors in employment, academia’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
In a joint statement, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Education Ministry announce that they are launching a “strategic plan” to promote the use of the Hebrew language among Arab Israelis.
According to the announcement, the PMO, as well as the education and social equality ministries, have submitted to the cabinet a multiyear plan “to promote the Hebrew language among Arabic speakers, with a large budget of NIS 744 million ($202 million).”
“Mastery of the Hebrew language is essential for full integration into Israeli society,” the PMO states, asserting that increasing Hebrew fluency will “open doors for many young Arab men and women in the fields of employment and academia, will enable access to essential information and services, and will promote better cooperation between Jews and Arabs.”
“The Israeli government is today taking an important strategic step, with a large financial investment, that will directly affect the integration of Arab Israelis into Israeli society, and as a result – will assist in the fight against the increase in crime in Arab society,” Netanyahu declares.
The Times of Israel Community.