Israel approves NIS 744 million to teach Hebrew language to Arab students

A new program promoting Hebrew language learning among Arab citizens of Israel has just been approved this week, with the government allotting NIS 744 million (over $200 million) to the multi-year plan.

"Today, we are significantly expanding and focusing the national effort to promote the Hebrew language in Arab society," Education Minister Yoav Kisch announced on Sunday.

He explained, "Arab society is a significant component of the Israeli fabric, and this initiative, with its significant budgets and educational components, will advance the young generation toward optimal integration in academia and industry. This is a step that will help Arab society grow and strengthen Israeli society as a whole."

The news was welcomed by those in the profession, such as Hebrew teacher Anya Teptereva. Speaking to ALL ISRAEL NEWS, she said, “After a few years of teaching Hebrew in the Arab sector in East Jerusalem I became aware on one hand of a tremendous need for Hebrew education in Arab schools and on the other hand of the eagerness and a great desire of the Arab students to learn the language.”

Teptereva shared her hopes about the opportunities the new funding might bring.

“Up until now most of the Arab school students and their parents didn’t have a choice to study Hebrew at school and had to pay for an annual Hebrew course after the school so that they could be accepted in the Israeli colleges and universities. Obviously, not every family can afford it which deprives those students of a possibility to integrate into Israeli society and be eligible to get professional education equal to the Israeli students.”

Without the Hebrew language, integrating into Israeli society and finding success can become elusive. This has led to poverty and exacerbated the associated problems of crime, an issue that has mushroomed in recent years.

The Arab Movement for Renewal (Taal) political party has called for urgent action to address the issue, as a study by the Taub Institute ranks Israel among the OECD countries with the highest murder rates in the world. The proposed investment aims to enhance language acquisition, improve the financial status of Arab communities, and ultimately reduce crime rates.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the plan, saying, "The Israeli government is advancing an important strategic step today with a large financial investment that will directly impact the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society, and as a result – will help in the fight against rising crime in Arab society."

The program will focus on investing in and enhancing the quality of Hebrew teachers working with Arabic-speaking students and promoting spoken Hebrew, according to a statement given by the Education Ministry.

Social Equality Minister May Golan said, "From the moment I entered office, I decided together with the professional team to build a tight control mechanism for all subjects under Government Resolution 550 to reduce gaps in Arab society."

"Within this program, I made sure that in every budgetary decision in the Arab sector under my ministry's authority – the money will reach the citizen at the end, and I am happy that this program will also have an enforcement and control mechanism that will ensure that Arabic-speaking students indeed learn Hebrew – under a mandatory framework," she added.