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Last update - 05:53 19/05/2008
MKs: Make Hebrew the only official language
By Shahar Ilan
Tags: Russian, Hebrew, Arabic 

MK Limor Livnat (Likud) and three other leading MKs from Kadima, Likud and Shas are set to propose this week that the Knesset remove Arabic from its list of the country's official primary languages.

The bill would make Hebrew the only official primary language, and Arabic, English and Russian would become official secondary languages.

In addition to Livnat, the MKs behind the bill are Shas faction whip Yakov Margi and deputy Knesset speakers Otniel Schneller (Kadima) and Yuli Edelstein (Likud).
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"It cannot be, it is not appropriate or reasonable that the status of one language or another in the Land of Israel is identical to the status of the Hebrew language," said Livnat.

"Precisely in these times, when there are radical groups of Israeli Arabs trying to turn the State of Israel into a binational state, it is most urgent to put into law the unique status of the language of the Bible - the Hebrew language."

Livnat also said the bill makes sense based on the country's demographics.

"Some 6 million Hebrew speakers, more than 1 million Arabic speakers and more than 1 million Russian speakers live in the State of Israel," she said. English makes the list because, said Livnat, it is used for foreign relations and "is taught as a mandatory subject in the state education system."

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      1.   Two official languages would suit me: English and Hebrew 06:46  |  x-ray 19/05/08
      2.   Hebrew isn`t the official language of Israel yet?? 07:50  |  Dmitri 19/05/08
      3.   In South Africa, it was Afrikaans 07:55  |  Natallie Durson 19/05/08
      4.   Hebrew the official language 07:57  |  Ros 19/05/08
      5.   And so say all of us 08:11  |  David 19/05/08
      6.   Finally! 08:28  |  Pam 19/05/08
      7.   Hebrew Language 08:50  |  Jan van Mil 19/05/08
      8.   Because this won`t cause trouble 08:52  |  Donald 19/05/08
      9.   English makes the list for many reasons 08:53  |  Judah 19/05/08
      10.   The languages should be 08:56  |  MJ 19/05/08
      11.   #1 -it`s not clear if you read the article correctly 08:58  |  redmike 19/05/08
      12.   Does not matter what - Arabic is OUT. Good. 09:00  |  Menashe 19/05/08
      13.   Oh English just "makes the list" does it? 09:20  |  James 19/05/08
      14.   #Dmitri. Why would "Russian be spoken everywhere." 10:04  |  Maureen Ann 19/05/08
      15.   America 10:12  |  Clickfool 19/05/08
      16.   change the signs!! 10:14  |  henry 19/05/08
      17.   "Ivrit" is not Hebrew 10:17  |  Daniel Breslauer 19/05/08
      18.   to #3 Natalllie 10:19  |  Marcelo 19/05/08
      19.   #13 - which nationalities mostly influence life in Israel? 10:25  |  redmike 19/05/08
      20.   Hebrew Only Official Language; English Int`l Language 10:35  |  Paqid Yirmeyahu 19/05/08
      21.   Keep Arabic as an official language 10:48  |  Slibovitz 19/05/08
      22.   Russian should have no special status 10:52  |  Slibovitz 19/05/08
      23.   Arabic is more than for terrorists 10:57  |  Slibovitz 19/05/08
      24.   Hebrew and English should be official 11:10  |  Joey 19/05/08
      25.   For James # 13 11:29  |  Clickfool 19/05/08
      26.   ronald, russian speaking minority is bigger than arabic speaking 11:38  |  vladimir 19/05/08
      27.   james, absolutely agree, but ekes gave israek more and polish 11:46  |  vladimir 19/05/08
      28.   Question for Redmike # 19 11:51  |  Clickfool 19/05/08
      29.   Slibovitz - NO THANK YOU...... 12:21  |  v 19/05/08
      30.   #28 - English of course, but that is not the issue. 12:28  |  redmike 19/05/08
      31.   to cut the arab tongue 12:45  |  Benno 19/05/08
      32.   Russian speaking minority pays 4 times more taxes than the arabs 12:48  |  Scientist 19/05/08
      33.   ANOTHER RACIST MOVE...ISRAEL IS DISINTEGRATING 12:58  |  TripleJump 19/05/08
      34.   Israels is BIGGEST TO LOSE from such a move 13:01  |  Haim 19/05/08
      35.   HOW MANY PEOPLE SPEAK HEBREW? ARABIC IS SOPKEN BY OVER 1 BILLION 13:03  |  ThinkTwice 19/05/08
      36.   Now hear this 13:05  |  Dennie 19/05/08
      37.   to 15 from sussex go play Susssex with your mother 13:07  |  Alex S. 19/05/08
      38.   Why Arabic 13:10  |  Bandar Michaels 19/05/08
      39.   Arabic is spoken and understood by 400 million Arabs 13:15  |  student of Arabic 19/05/08
      40.   to # Pam 13:22  |  fab 19/05/08
      41.   #15 Clickfool 13:32  |  Moshe 19/05/08
      42.   Status Quo is Fine - Livnat in Error 13:36  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 19/05/08
      43.   Hebrew should be the only official language 13:38  |  Moshe 19/05/08
      44.   No Natallie, in South Africa it was English and Afrikaans 13:39  |  Jou doos 19/05/08
      45.   #6 Pam 13:40  |  Moshe 19/05/08
      46.   French 13:42  |  New Israeli 19/05/08
      47.   Arabic - teach it "practically" 13:44  |  Oldtimer 19/05/08
      48.   Arab student #39.....it is a Jewish State 13:49  |  Lynn 19/05/08
      49.   # 35 Think twice.....so what 13:52  |  Lynn 19/05/08
      50.   Clickfool`s obsession 14:05  |  Asher 19/05/08
      51.   NO NO NO NO NO 14:15  |  Nicole 19/05/08
      52.   Arabic Only 14:42  |  Right Wing Extremist 19/05/08
      53.   #35 14:46  |  Moshe 19/05/08
      54.   Hebrew is the official language of Eretz Israel. 14:57  |  Stephen. 19/05/08
      55.   Re#35 Think twice - Why not make Chinese or Hindi the language? 15:06  |  . 19/05/08
      56.   A stupid mistake fueled by frustration 15:06  |  J 19/05/08
      57.   @35, thinktwice 15:16  |  vladimir 19/05/08
      58.   Hebrew only official language 15:21  |  Ezra 19/05/08
      59.   Arabs should be learning Hebrew 15:21  |  Said 19/05/08
      60.   This Is Hopeless 15:31  |  Yaakov Sullivan 19/05/08
      61.   Hebrew Only Official Lang. - Narrow Minded 15:32  |  Phil 19/05/08
      62.   Superficial and not needed 15:36  |  Rami 19/05/08
      63.   Slibovitz I admire you vision and talkbak.. 15:38  |  Rami 19/05/08
      64.   Arabic should be taught more widely 15:44  |  Jack 19/05/08
      65.   Keep Arabic as an official language 15:48  |  Murray the Mongoose 19/05/08
      66.   For Asher, who likes Fake Clickfool`s posts # 50 15:51  |  Clickfool 19/05/08
      67.   US Aid To Israel Since 1949 - FACTS AND FIGURES 15:54  |  Phil 19/05/08
      68.   Yaakov Sullivan, as confused as his name 15:54  |  Boaz 19/05/08
      69.   How about adding Farsi as an official language in Israel 15:54  |  Aounist 19/05/08
      70.   #54 But we`re not talking about Eretz Israel, 15:55  |  Rebekah S 19/05/08
      71.   Ben Jabo Ben Tize can force the arabs to speak hebrew 15:57  |  Aounist 19/05/08
      72.   redmike english teacher? 16:02  |  american 19/05/08
      73.   Hebrew should be our official language 16:06  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 19/05/08
      74.   French Is Not An International Language 16:08  |  Phil 19/05/08
      75.   The Brilliant Rebekah S will now tell us the difference between 16:09  |  x-ray 19/05/08
      76.   #72 american and Redmike - English 101 16:12  |  Phil 19/05/08
      77.   What some other countries do 16:29  |  Realist 19/05/08
      78.   Get your act together cause Spanish is becoming 16:37  |  Pssd off American. 19/05/08
      79.   What about Yiddish? 16:39  |  Berel 19/05/08
      80.   This is true? 16:46  |  Panther Jet 19/05/08
      81.   Arabic and Hebrew...must there be a war about this too? 16:47  |  MON 19/05/08
      82.   Phil and a sewage system 101 16:54  |  american 19/05/08
      83.   official languages 16:54  |  Michael 19/05/08
      84.   # 60 Yaakov ....most arabs and Israelis 17:02  |  Lynn 19/05/08
      85.   #35 17:21  |  Moshe 19/05/08
      86.   More bloody nonsense 17:24  |  Danite 19/05/08
      87.   #82 American 17:42  |  Phil 19/05/08
      88.   Hebrew an official language 17:45  |  Bruce Kallen 19/05/08
      89.   Funny how the anti-semites claim this is somehow like apartheid 17:47  |  Gee 19/05/08
      90.   addition to mine (#47) Arabic, Egypt, etc 17:48  |  Oldtimer 19/05/08
      91.   How about Judeo-Arabic 18:04  |  Benlolo 19/05/08
      92.   Pedantic american (initial small letter?) 18:12  |  English Teacher 19/05/08
      93.   66 True Clickfool and false Clickfool 18:13  |  Asher 19/05/08
      94.   The right direction 18:35  |  Daniel 19/05/08
      95.   Dhimmi EU and Arabs are Judas (Traitors) and Infidels 18:37  |  Joseph . E 19/05/08
      96.   Arabic will become official language of Israel 18:40  |  IL supporter 19/05/08
      97.   For Phil re: who/whom # 76 18:55  |  Clickfool 19/05/08
      98.   The irony is... 18:58  |  Colin Wright 19/05/08
      99.   Thanks for your message, Asher # 93 18:58  |  Clickfool 19/05/08
      100.   For Nuttie Durston # 3 19:00  |  Fortuna Benmayor 19/05/08
      101.   This initiative has a great deal of merit. 19:18  |  Chaim 19/05/08
      102.   To # 17 Breslauer re Yiddish 19:46  |  David 19/05/08
      103.   #86 Danite 20:19  |  Moshe 19/05/08
      104.   it`s not only a matter of communication. 20:39  |  fab 19/05/08
      105.   My God, you`re such a wit, Fortuna Benmayor # 100 21:18  |  Clickfool 19/05/08
      106.   Phil #74; it`s international enough - 21:20  |  ivo 19/05/08
      107.   Speak whatever but.. 21:34  |  Stranger 19/05/08
      108.   Natallie Durson always says something dumb 21:49  |  A Yiddish speaker 19/05/08
      109.   Lynn, that is not the point 22:04  |  Yaakov Sullivan 19/05/08
      110.   Pssd off American - People spoke Spanish WAY before English 22:06  |  Americano 19/05/08
      111.   Tell This To The Haredim who Speak Yiddish! 22:24  |  B`Galil 19/05/08
      112.   #17 Daniel Breslauer and ancient Hebrew 22:32  |  hala 19/05/08
      113.   #78 Urinated off American 22:42  |  hala 19/05/08
      114.   hala #112: aramaic was a lingua franca (like english) - 23:24  |  ivo 19/05/08
      115.   Hala #78 23:33  |  Stranger 19/05/08
      116.   This is Just Plain Dumb 23:41  |  MIKE 19/05/08
      117.   More Big Brother stuff from Israel 01:05  |  Dutch 20/05/08
      118.   Daniel Breslauer 01:27  |  Beitcafe 20/05/08
      119.   #79 - Barel - How many official languages does Israel need? 02:27  |  Slibovitz 20/05/08
      120.   More Big Brother stuff from Israeli officials 02:32  |  Dutch 20/05/08
      121.   Make Hebrew the Official Language 04:20  |  Marilyn 20/05/08
      122.   Arabic not an official language? 06:27  |  Jack 20/05/08
      123.   #115 Stranger than fiction... 07:08  |  hala 20/05/08
      124.   #114 English and Aramaic, linguae francae 07:43  |  hala 20/05/08
      125.   #68 Boaz. I personally like to speak a broken Arabic with Hassan 07:43  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/05/08
      126.   #114 Aramaic 07:48  |  hala 20/05/08
      127.   Paqid Yirmeyahu, As a Christian Jew myself I disagree 07:50  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/05/08
      128.   #103 Forget about Yiddish? CHAS V`CHOLILEH! 08:13  |  hala 20/05/08
      129.   The ghetto walls are getting higher 08:25  |  sh 20/05/08
      130.   hala #124,126: i don`t doubt that aramaic became the vernacular - 11:37  |  ivo 20/05/08
      131.   hebrew 11:40  |  rakusson 20/05/08
      132.   #125 11:44  |  to Yaakov Sullivan 20/05/08
      133.   #129 Vulgar and Classical Latin 20:39  |  hala 20/05/08
      134.   How about: No national language 06:50  |  Alex 21/05/08
      135.   Livnat... go home..Arabic was spoken here before you were born! 00:23  |  Sadni 25/06/08
      136.   Make Hebrew the only official language 14:31  |  Sarah Lascar 25/06/08
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