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Transportation Ministry to Hebraize road signs
Udi Etzion
Published: 13.07.09, 11:41
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1. who cares people got GPS.
ghostq   (07.13.09)
2. Probably will make it less comprehensible.
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (07.13.09)
Count on the gov't. to make a mess & waste a lot of money. His nephew or his brother-in-law probably owns the company that makes the signs. How about removing Arabic altogether? Hebrew, English & maybe Russian. The only signs in Arabic should read, "This way to Jordan" ....... one way.
3. Dis Wil Just Ad To De Konfuzhyn
Reuven Brauner ,   Raanana, Israel   (07.13.09)
Dum move.
4. Hebraize Road Signs
Stuart Cornberg ,   Gedera Israel   (07.13.09)
Utter nonsense, Jerusalem is not Yershualim, and the arguement that the signs are to serve the local community is wrong. The minister is stupid, Israelis speak Hebrew or if new immigrants they will speak another language and not a transliteral one. Yisrael Katz is typical in not solving a simple problem with inconsistent spelling, but throws in an answer than offends and does not solve the problem. Herzlia is from the name Herzl and not Herzeliyya which he proposes, Haifa has been mooted to be written Highfa.
5. Worst sign of them all
Yerushalmi ,   Jerusalem   (07.13.09)
In Ayalon, sign in english, pointing to arlozoroff train station... Says "Rakevet" in latin letters. What is the point of that? If someone knows what rakevet is, he will most probably know how to read hebrew.
6. bored
Gregg ,   Haifa, IL   (07.13.09)
Is he bored or something? This how this country wastes the money? Hebrewasing names? Whatever.... As said previously... people have GPS
7. GOOD MOVE!!!!! Welcome!
gabriela ben ari ,   jerusalem   (07.13.09)
8. Better late than never
Mark Leaman ,   Yerushalayim   (07.13.09)
Should have been done years ago. Next thing to work on to make cars stop when some one is on the crossing ( the black and white stripe ones)
9. Why make it bad when you can make it confusing?
Eric ,   Tel Aviv   (07.13.09)
I agree that the 4 spellings of Caesarea make it hard on drivers, but the roll-out plan for this it will make it worse as several of the old signs will be alongside the new ones until they too need replacing. Please pick a transliteration spelling that will make sense to drivers not one that adds another option. For example take Caesarea, choosing a new spelling with a K rather than the more common C will make it worse on drivers as there will now be 5 options to sort through. This confusion will hold true for Kriat (Quriat), Tikva (Tiqiva) etc.
10. Transliteration problems
David Olesker ,   Jerusalem Israel   (07.13.09)
Transliterating Hebrew into Latin characters is no simple matter. For example, how should the Hebrew letter Shin be transliterated? An English speaker would say, "Sh, what's the question?", but a French speaker would just as obviously plump for Ch, which an English speaker would likely see as an attempt at a Chet or Chuf.
11. Bring Back NATBAG
ShimonB ,   Kfar Saba   (07.13.09)
12. sign changes
jon ,   netanya, israel   (07.13.09)
It is a complete waste of money, and it will only make it more dificult for tourist. Maybe the minister owns a road sign factory.
13. LOL
Talula ,   Israel   (07.13.09)
Just like the sign for 'HaRakevet' on the Ayalon freeway. Too bad if you're a tourist and you don't know what Rakevet is in English. But anyhow, let the fun begin.
14. Too much change!
Veteren Israeli   (07.13.09)
The English is for foreign tourists, of which we want lots. They all know where Nazareth, Jerusalem, Haifa and so on are on their maps, so why confuse them by messing about with agreed spelling of names of the main towns. Of course we can adjust translation from Hebrew of Kfar this and Moshav that if we want to be consistent.
15. New Signposts
Ralph ,   Metar   (07.13.09)
Hopefully this will be an opportunity to rectify some of the ridiculous English language sign posting conventions and spellings found on Israel's roads today.
16. staying alert
Ethan ,   Eilat   (07.13.09)
Signs like rakevet and natbag need to be fixed. It would do our self respect well to have uniform spellings on our signs. On the other hand different amusing spelling can make a driver chuckle and stay alert. Let's spend our money on keeping our roads properly and safely painted.
17. Truely a waste of money, yes there is a problem, but
Central Scrutinzer   (07.13.09)
Don't make it WORSE! For e.g., for Bnei Dror (simple enough?) the sign has Bene Deror! And yes there is Qesaria, Caesaria, Kayzaria, etc, etc. This location in English (yes, there is a true English name for the place!) is correctly written as 'Caesarea'. So WHY NOT CORRECT INSTANCES where there is a true English spelling? For the locations with Hebrew names, standardize them, so that, for example, on road 4 you don't have two signs within a hundred meters of each other with one showing En Hod, the other; Ein Hawd! What a Busha! (LOL)
18. English is universal today
Raoul ,   Netanya, Israel   (07.13.09)
What a complete waste of money!! All that is needed is to give the English equivalent of the Hebrew name - for tourists and newcomers. EVERYONE can understand that - what could be more simple. A little less thinking and more doing the common sense thing is required!
19. ah! giant step back 20 years to NATBAG!
(07.13.09)
remember? the airport sign in Latin Letters (yes in Latin Letters) used to read NATBAG and all interrnational travellers and new immigrants were supposed to know that NATBAG was "Nemal Teufah Ben Gurion"!!! I will be kind and politically correct and I will just say that Mr. Katz is just being "MEKOMEE" (Provincial) because to say that he's being "PRIMEETEEVEE" (primitive) wouldn't be very nice now would it? So here's to Mr. Katz HaMekomee HaMekori (the original provincial) :)
20. Terry, girl in Um El Rash Rash...
(07.13.09)
Just a reminder dear girl: The official languages of the State of Israel are: Hebrew and Arabic (yes, go check in the Knesset Law book, you'll see I am right). We have added English to the signs because it is the "Lingua Franca" of the world. Russian you want Russian on the signs what for? It is basically an irrelevant language as even the mighty Mr. Putin speaks English! Have a nice day down there in Um El Rash Rash dear!
21. This is even worse
Noa ,   Beer Sheva, Israel   (07.13.09)
Why not use the English word for Jerusalem? Afraid you will have to write Al Kuds in Arabic? At least tourists found Jerusalem and Nazareth - this will now be over. How I love Israeli ignorants .... And btw, these signs were always a good laugh.
22. Roadsigns
Rivka ,   Israel Jerusalem   (07.13.09)
It saddens me to see the ridiculous and ignorant spelling of our roadsigns. We have gone backwards, we make ourselves look uneducated and like a third world country with no universities, and no respect for the culture of language, If you read and write in English, it should be English, and not gibberish. I'm ashamed of our government, no taste, no shame, no culture, gravitating constantly to the lowest common denominator.
23. What a waste of money
Daniel ,   Tel Aviv   (07.13.09)
As if the transportation system doesn't have other problems. How about renovating the landing system at the airport so that planes don't keep 'almost' crashing into one another? Or redrawing the bus routes in the major cities to reflect development in those cities over the past 60 years? Or, perhaps, pushing forward the light rail systems and making them finish (or in fact, even start) on time? Nah, instead of all that, let's rename the signs to Tiberias as "Teveria" so that no-one can find it. Great idea, Minister Katz.
24. 15 - no Ralph - it's just gonna amke it worse. Read again!
(07.13.09)
They want to call Haifa 'Cheipha' and Nazareth 'NATSRAT'!!
25. Hebrew only!!!
Marcelo ,   World   (07.13.09)
IS there any hebrew signs in any of the millions of arab square meters land?
26. Todah Rabah, My thoughts exactly.
Kerwood Derby ,   Frostbite Falls, MN   (07.13.09)
I have often wondered why those that should know better would use de-Yehudizing terms like "Juedea" and "Samaria", not to mention "West Bank." It is a manifestation of lack of self-respect an not just ignorance not to use your own terms for the land of your own name. Are you so beholden to the Romans that you find the need to use Latin terms like "Judea" and "Samaria" instead of the transliteration of the Hebrew terms for Yehuda, Shomoron, Binyamin, Ephraim, et.c etc? Are you so beholden to the exiled Hashemite tyrant from the Hejaz who commissioned a London PR agency to create the de-Yehudizing designation "West Bank", the largest river bank in the world, instead of your own names that the land is named for? Hebrew transliteration would be a breath of fresh air and bring clarity in the midst of the deadly, bloody fog that seeks to not just deny you the homeland of your own name, but to never refer to it by its historical designation. This one change in the states designation of its own land would dispel many myths of whose land it is. With any mention of the non-Hebrew term, your right to the land is explicitly denied.
27. Are they mad????
Liz   (07.13.09)
The transport minister's priority should be fixing the roads, and making them safe, and trying to avoid accidents. He is going to waste so much money on this project that there wont be any money left to fix the roads etc. At least he is a true Likud Minister and is not letting the side down. Feh!
28. We haven't added English to the signs
Yaronn Libne ,   KarmiË€el   (07.13.09)
The purpose of the line in Latin letters is to write Hebrew names in Latin script. It needs to be using a conversion standard.
29. Kerwood what's in your bran nuts, son?
(07.13.09)
30. mimic or hebraize but our minds and heart and time
(07.13.09)
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