Last update - 00:00 13/01/2008
State seeks Arabic translators for government Web sites
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
The government will soon issue a tender for translators to render its Web sites into Arabic and to translate and build online forms in Arabic.
Currently, less than one percent of pages are in Arabic. In a letter to the Israeli Arab advocacy center Mossawa, Finance Ministry director general Yoram Ariav said the ministry, which will employ the translators, was placing "the highest priority" on improving services, particularly to Arab citizens.
"Lack of access to information through lack of understanding of the language prevents Arab citizens from fulfilling their right to examine the conduct of various ministries," Mossawa legal advisor Abu-Akal Raja said.
Finance Ministry General Secretary Yarom Ariav sent a written response to the Mossawa request which stated that his office "sees the great importance" of the improvement of services for all Israeli citizens, especially Israeli Arabs.
In a letter sent in late December, Ariav wrote that the government is committed to providing Israeli Arabs better and easier access to government Web sites, "in their mother tongue."
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