Lingua franca

Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Avi Dichter is to be I congratulated on his achievement (“Jewish nation-state bill clears hurdle in Knesset,” May 11). However, I am perturbed with respect to the status of Arabic, which is to be changed from an official language to one with “special status,” giving its speakers the right to language-accessible state services.

Since 1948, Israel’s Arab citizens were afforded the status of Arabic as an official second language; as such, there was no obligation for them to learn Hebrew, as if they were a state within a state. In 1967 when Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip were returned to the Jewish people, those Arabs who resided there continued to carry out their affairs in Arabic because it was an official second language. They cast aside Hebrew, thus exacerbating the state-within-a-state status.

At one time, English was afforded official status as a second language, but this has disappeared, the emphasis being on Arabic, with an unofficial status given to Russian (just check food product labeling).

English is the world’s foremost international language. It is a common language in all international forums, media, scientific and technical conferences and publications. It is the lingua franca, adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different.

Given the proposed legislation, it appears that the bill needs urgent rewording to modify it to incorporate special status to English and ensure that it has specific radio and TV channels to counteract the global media assault on Israel. ELIEZER KAUFMAN

Jerusalem