In Israel--Supporting Arabic At The Expense Of Hebrew

The good news: Israel has its first Arab Minister, Ghaleb Majadle.
The bad news: As Science, Culture and Sports Minister, Majadle controls the Culture Ministry allocations--which include the funding for the Academy of the Hebrew Language.

In the interests of "affirmative action," has said openly that he will direct much of the money under his control to Arab causes:

Majadle has been as good as his word and, for the 2008 budget, has doubled outlays to Arab institutions as compared to 2007 (tripled in relation to 2005).

Majadle, moreover, has pressed for the establishment of a parallel Academy for the Arabic Language and pushed his proposal through the Knesset. The Arabic Academy, which is due to begin its life on January 1, has already bitten off NIS 3 million of the already much-diminished culture budget.

Concomitantly, the inadequate funding meted out to the Hebrew Academy is due to shrink from NIS 7.5m. in 2007 to NIS 5m. in 2008. In effect, the establishment of the Arab Academy is gnawing into the meager ration of the Hebrew Academy.

Apparently, once again Israel has managed to shoot itself in the foot, going out of its way to show generosity with those who have no intention of reciprocating. The resultant situation is absurd:

Hebrew is the dominant language of just one tiny nation. Arabic is spoken by hundreds of millions in the region, some of whose countries are thriving financially and can allocate all the funds possibly needed to safeguard and develop a language that is also spreading daily via the Islamization of increasing stretches of Asia and Africa.

This state and its language are part and parcel of the same historical revolution. The remarkable revival of Hebrew is an expression of Zionism and vice versa. Arabic, on the other hand, can be explored and modified in at least 23 Arab countries and its preservation is not intrinsically the business of the Jewish state. Israel's Arab citizens are free to avail themselves of all the innovations and scholarship beyond our borders. The Israeli taxpayer need not be required to underpin what should be undertaken in so many Arab countries and especially not at the expense of Hebrew, which has Israel alone to look after it.

But he will.
Only in Israel.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Hebrew and Arabic.