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Transportation Ministry to Hebraize road signs
Udi Etzion
Published: 13.07.09, 11:41
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31. wow if someone doesn't know where
ghostq   (07.13.09)
Jerusalem is then he or she r in big big troblle, that city is not transperant. ad the right name is Jerusalem it's the name her establlisher king David called her, when he established the city really long time ago another name for her is zion, one of the gates to her old city is called zion gate.
32. Tibi, what exactly does the Arab language "represent"?
The Doc ,   Haifa, Israel   (07.13.09)
Tibi and Barakeh: unfortunately, thanks for megalomaniacal traitors (to your own people) and war mongers as yourselfs, Palestinians never got a place of their own, and Israeli Arabs never got integrated. You've been torpedoing each and every effort - however minimal - of the Israeli governments to start a motion towards a better integration, leveling the rights but also expecting responsibilities in return of the Israeli Arabs. You've been sowing hatred, racism and discord between Arabs and Jews and you've been cohorting with Israel's worst enemies, plotting for ways to undermine the Israeli society and bring about its destruction. Don't preach to us about Arab's "connection to Israel" - you've been against this connection since the very beginning! So, coming from your venomous mouths, Arab language represents hatred, racism, deceit and betrayal. Thanks to you, whenever my kids hear Arabic they think "terrorist" and "racist". YOU and your Islamo-racist acolytes have shaped the way Arabic is perceived - YOU have shaped what Arabic represents today!
33. Arab MKs are drunk with power...
The Doc ,   Haifa, Israel   (07.13.09)
Tibi and Barakeh have enjoyed far more rights than any non-Arab MK - especially the "right" to spit on Israel, its flag, its National Anthem and its citizens. They should be reminded that such obscene "rights" come with a price. They should unceremoniously be shown the door and thrown out with a good kick in their treacherous butts.
34. #29 IMO, much more than in yours, boy!
The Doc ,   Haifa, Israel   (07.13.09)
35. TOTALLY ABSURD
Mike Carmel ,   Rishon le Zion   (07.13.09)
Stupidity reigns supreme in this matter. Why is "Zion" spelt "Ziyyon" as in Rishon-le-Ziyyon? There never was, is not, and never will be a double "Y" in English. Does this pathetic illiterate idiot minister propose to bring back "NATBAG" and all the rest of those ridiculous signs which confuse any English speaker/tourist/foreigner? And what exactly is "Yerusahayim"?? The whole world is aware of Jerusalem and knows it as such.
36. Hebraizing Road Signs
Bryan Levy ,   Norwich   (07.13.09)
Crazy decision. Having driven in Israel, I prefer that English Language Signs which I follow more quickly, refer to the name I am familiar with in English! So if I am looking for the way to "Jerusalem" that's how it should stay. I can understand Arabs being infuriated that place names known to them by their Arabic names will be infuriated by their transliteration in to Hebrew. Hebrew speaking Israelis can refer to the Hebrew place names. This will create confusion and worse still, unnecessary animosity from minority groups.
37. And why stop there.............????
Mike Carmel ,   Rishon-le-Ziyyon (?)   (07.13.09)
If we are aspiring to be completely insane let's go through all the way with it and instead of just transliterating the signs let's actually translate them. That will really cause mega-confusion with signs pointing to places like First-of-Zion, Streets, Zion's Miracle, Spring Hill etc etc etc.
38. mk tibi: "al-quds"
tom ,   toronto, canada   (07.13.09)
habibi, you and i both know that "al-quds" is just an abbreviated form of "al-quds al-yahoud" ("the holy place of the jews") - that trick only works on your less-than-literate supporters. and the real "haram al-sharif" (as opposed to the fake one invented to soothe the pride of the hashemites thrown out of arabia) is somewhere in arabia, within riding distance of mecca. the "palestine" that you yearn for has been the homeland of the jews for 3,000 years, and jerusalem has always been its capital. your people didn't even refer to themselves as "palestinian" before 1964 - i have ties older than that! so why don't you drop this PLO propaganda schtick, because it's getting pretty old and tired, and just retire to damascus, along with all the other arab "leaders"?
39. in your own house
tom ,   toronto, canada   (07.13.09)
in your own house, you use you own names. "peking" can be renamed "beijing" and "bombay" can insist on being called "mumbai", so why can't the signs in israel use the proper hebrew names? "yerushalayim" has been the name of the capital of the jews since the time of king david, and if the gentiles haven't learned it yet, maybe now is a good time to teach them.
40. And make Israel Yisroel
Chanalau, Tova ,   London, UK   (07.13.09)
so that it will be seated out of the way at UN meetings together with other failed states like Zimbabwe rather than with democracies like Ireland.
41. be true to history
Rami of Nazareth ,   Israel   (07.13.09)
Regadless how much Mr. Katz hate arabs or Arabic, Israel has to be true to history. Since this historic piece of land was ruled by Arabs in the past and a considerable arab population still live here, arabic signs should carry the arabic names which are still widely used. So in all fairness, for example, the arabic sign for Nazareth, Jerusalem or Jaffa should use the arabic name which is different that the Hebrew one. Just like in Hebrew where capitals like Amman and Damascus are called Rabat-Amon and Damesek which is different that the arabic name.
42. NO SIGNS IN HEBREW IN MUSLIM NATIONS.
Petra ,   USA   (07.13.09)
TIT FOR TAT. ISRAEL CAN DO AS SHE PLEASES AND THOSE WHO CAN'T READ HEBREW SHOULD TAKE LESSONS. SAME W/ USA LEARN THE LANGUAGE.
43. # 2 Terry love it!
petra ,   uSA   (07.13.09)
Great suggestion.
44. The only modifiactions needed...
Simon ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (07.13.09)
...are 1) making the spelling homogenous acoss the country and 2) getting rid of the parenthesis (al-Quds), meaning the Holy, on the Arabic signs for Jerusalem, which now say "Ursalim (al-Quds)". There is no reason why the parenthesis with the religious reference "al-Quds" (the holy) should remain there. It should say respectively Yerushalayim, Ursalim, Jerusalem. Also, English words for places like Jerusalem, Nazareth, Caesarea, Tiberias etc should remain.
45. What about the Israel sign?
Simon ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (07.13.09)
Will travellers be greeted at the airport by "Welcome to Yisrael"? Or at the Jordan border: "State of Yisrael border"?
46. to #40 free Ireland from uk aparthide
ghostq   (07.13.09)
get out from there it's not your soil. stop occuping Ireland. british people have no shame.
47. unbelievable
sharon ,   American born   (07.13.09)
Hard to believe such stupidity!!! Why doesn't Yisrael Katz go run a supermarket or something. Can't believe that such a fool sits in the government. Perhaps one day he will use some of his fat to do something useful.
48. to #44 please read Tom TB the full name is
ghostq   (07.13.09)
al-quds al-yahoud ("the holy place of the jews"), before you continu with the blatant.
49. to #41 the hebrew name of the places
ghostq   (07.13.09)
came before the arabs conquests. if you respect the place don't invent other names at your conviniens Nazarath and jerusalem r nazarath and jerusalem even to chritians around the world it's only the muslems who desided differentely. against world common use.
50. And for those who don't speak Hebrew?
Lila ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (07.13.09)
What about all those tourists who rent cars? Let's have a few hundred more accidents while they try to figure out the road signs, eh? Another incredibly stupid idea brought to you by an unqualified politician.
51. English spelling
(07.13.09)
English spelling is a joke....have you ever seen a translated birth certificate in English of the Ministry of Interior (Misrad Hapnim)...religion: Jewish....nationality: Jewish ..Since when is Jewish a nationality. Kids in school don't learn how to spell properly. An English teacher of my son who was doing bagrut called me, I told her that I prefer to speak to her in English coz my Hebrew isn't so good yet, she couldn't her English was terrible, English teacher from Russian origins...what a shame.....thank G-d my kids are at University in the US...
52. Har Habayit written in Arabic letters
Salomon ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (07.13.09)
If Israel had any selfpride, Arabic signs at the Temple Mount would read Har Habayit, transliterated into Arabic letters.
53. #40 what about the successful democracy of Northern Ireland?
(07.13.09)
How could you forget them? Or what about Gibraltar? Give it a rest girl, back under your Londoner rock already!
54. Petra no signs in Hebrew in USA either!
(07.13.09)
so how about we get rid of English you know TIT FOR TAT! Just for the record we Israeli do do as we please! We don't need the likes of you telling us how to live!
55. To #53
UK   (07.13.09)
Gibraltar has consistently voted (democratically) to remain a part of the UK. Just for the record. Also, I don't support the British occupation of Northern Ireland, much like I do not support the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. Just as many Britons need to learn to separate the actions of the government of Israel (which in this case I oppose) and those of the citizens of Israel (whom I support and whose right to exist I support), it seems some Israelis should learn to differentiate between the actions of a British government and its people.
56. Katz
Michael ,   Haifa   (07.13.09)
Some people have the misfortune to be born with mental deficiencies, but this guy has really invented idiocy all by himself
57. #56 All signs point to Jordan! Good one Terry. Kept me
laughing it did.! ,   Joseph, Israel   (07.13.09)
58. Hebraicised names
Nahum Litwin ,   Kfar Saba   (07.13.09)
Wither Petah Tiqwa?
59. its mr tourist that need english so put it in english.
(07.13.09)
Mr dum tourist is visiting Israel for the first time his travel agent has told him all about these great places to see so he rents a car gets a map and sets off. He can't read a word of hebrew but he does know the names of the places he wants to go based on books he has read and his tour map. Decides he wanrts to visit the famous town of Nazareth so he is checking all the signs looking for one that says Nazareth this way but he nether sees it. He sees a sign saying Natsrat this was but Natsrat isn't something an english speaking tourist is going to even click might be Nazeath. He wants to visit the Dead Sea will that say Yam Hamelach in english? Jerusalem why not say JERUSALEM in english which is how english speakers have been taught its spelled not Yerushalayim and certainly not Al Quads. I know about dodgy signs I seen it all the time and at first before I learned hebrew i did find it confusing seeing all the different english translations so I agree a uniform spelling is needed but not trying to translate the hebrew and then writing the hebrew word in english. That will make people who get confused over all the different spellings now and make them very c on f u s e d
60. 2 #55 thank u 4 info on Gibraltar!
#53   (07.13.09)
Due to your comments I checked and you are correct the people of Gibraltar have voted to remain under the British crown. My apologies on that point. I note that Gaza is not under Israeli occupation. The Israeli occupation of Gaza ended unilaterally (by Israeli withdrawal of all civilians and IDF army) in August 2005. The West Bank (aka "The Territories" aka "Judea and Shomron") is another story. The DOP agreements (1993) and the Cairo agreements (1994) signed by Mr. Arafat on behalf of the Palestinian Authority and signed by Mr. Rabin on behalf of the State of Israel created: Area A (in The West Bank aka "The Territories" aka "Judea and Shomron") which is entirely under the administrative, legal and police authority of the Palestinian Authority; Area B (in The West Bank aka "The Territories" aka "Judea and Shomron") which has shared jurisdiction (Israeli and Palestinian Authority) administrative, legal and police authority control. and Area C (in The West Bank aka "The Territories" aka "Judea and Shomron") which is under Israeli jurisdiction (Area C is generally defined as the Jewish settlements there. So if you will please adjust your information to include the above then we will have a point of departure for a conversation. I note that my comment was directed at TBer #40 who is virulently anti-Israeli and who makes her very best effort not to listen to anyone else. It was not intended as an insult to other Britons or to Her Majesty the Queen or her government.
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