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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