The study of Arabic is being made compulsory in Israel’s public education system, for the first time since the state was founded in 1948.
Education Minister Yitzhak Navon established the policy at the start of the current school year. Until now, Arabic was a required subject only in the elementary grades. Over the next six years, it will become part of the general curriculum.
The new stress on teaching Arabic coincides with an all-time low in Arab-Jewish relations in Israel. They have been deteriorating for some time and reached the nadir after the Palestinian uprising began in the administered territories last December.
Arabic language studies have been hampered by a lack of qualified teachers and hostility on the part of parents and pupils. Nevertheless, the study of Arabic has increased by 30 percent in recent years.
The Education Ministry, citing the need for Arabic-speaking soldiers in the Israel Defense Force, has established a new department devoted solely to advancing instruction in the Arabic language and culture.
With instruction expanded, it seems likely that Arabic will replace French as the second favorite foreign language among Israelis, after English.
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