If it were another of those damned yeshiva them Jews go to, I would have to go to the UN AGAIN and file another complaint with the HRC!

What are you wasting your time on, Melchior? Are there not more pressing challenges facing the State of Israel?

Maybe my perspective is wrong and from now(or within a while)roqquets will stop against Israel;suicide bombs will stop;ahmadinejad will love Jews;hisbollah will love Israel;muslims will stop their jihad around the world,including Israel;arabs and Jews in Israel will love each other and happily compartiliate the same space;the Jewish State will be granted with a Jewish rule and Jewish majority;arabs will not ask for Jerusalem anymore... Well...may it be a way to be a" light into nations". I don't believe,but....Who knows?

Too often, the study of the Arabic language becomes a Trojan Horse to push Arabic/Islamic culture. We've certainly seen this in the US where people "dress up" in Islamic garb, learn Islamic prayers, etc. One item that should be on the agenda of this new institution is development of a curriculum which will not open doors to such Islamic propoganda.

While our Arab 5th column keeps calling for our destruction, our left wing anti-State parties keep up their routine attacks on our people, our heritage, and our religion and culture. The same people that support an "Arabic academy" (surely destined to be another root of hatred) oppose Jewish "academys" or non-leftwing teachings in our public schools. The 5th columnites, as demonstrated by their MKs have sufficient funds - let them finance their own hotbeds of hatred.

True Talmidei Chachamim (sages) are those who increase peace in the world. Thank you for helping Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs to find common ground and live together in peace. Kol haKavod!

.....coexistance and peace specially between Israeli-Arabs and Israeli-Jews.

It doesn't seem like a good idea to propagate the language of your enemy within your own country.

It is a military asset to have a good command of arab language: Eli Cohen, our master spy, had a perfect knowledge of Arabic. Sefardim in Israel are growing old, and we need people to manage our intelligence. Let us be their 5th column.

I learnt Arabic and thankfully I didnt learn from a Muslim (I learnt from an Egyptian Copt). Not because Muslims aren't good teachers of Arabic, but study or Arabic ALWAYS ends up with study of Islam with them (as later Arabic tutors have continually stressed on me). Arabic though is a diverse array of dialects and dialects of dialects. Sure you learn Modern Standard in classrooms but no one speaks modern standard, except maybe on TV but invariably the personality will lapse into regionalisms and whatnot. Howsabout teaching the Russian immigrants Hebrew, even the Israeli arabs need a brushing up.

For your and other readers information. To have good intelligence about your enemy, you need to master their language so you can listen and read their media and also speak their language. Currently, israel have a big shortage in qualified and trained officers who speak, write and read arabic. This institute will enhance israel's security and make sure qualified intelligence analyst, offices, etc.. are available. No matter how much you hate the arabs this academy is as important to israel's security as the tanks, M-16s and F-16s

People, we are forgetting that there is already a lot of Jewish Religious literature which was originally written in Arabic. The native language of Rambam, the Ibn Ezras, Saadia Gaon and others was Arabic, not Yiddish ! This extensive Jewish religious literature in the Arabic language should be publicized on the internet and on the radio and t.v. broadcast to Arab countries. Also, after they are taught Arabic, the yeshiva students should learn this Jewish religious literature in its original language, Arabic.

heart, aand expressed it s lot better too:-).

how about taking all this wonderful jewish literature written in arabic and throwing out the millions of copies of the elders of zion and the millions of school books teaching hate for jews and their bible from your arab schools and libraries and from every street vendor who sells them. now, that would be the day!

My first reaction to reading this was negative. Giving the Arabs another claw into our lands. However, in the interest of safety and to know what is being said/lied about on Arabic media, I feel that it's important to teach Arabic. It's also nice for our side to be able to counter Arab propaganda in their own language.

You ask if the State of Israel doesn't have 'more pressing challenges'. I would say one of its MOST pressing challenegs is the rejection of Israel by the Arab world. This is a bridge that can move us closer to fixing that. Or perhaps you'd rather the Arabs keep trying to destroy us forever?

My heartfelt prayer is that one day "all this wonderful jewish literature written in arabic" will be part of the currculum in arab schools. To the best of my knowledge real muslims do not "hate" the torah or "taurat", they just don't follow it. Any way the above initiative might be one step towards ending this politically manufactured "arab-jewish hatred". Insha-ll-a-h!! Jews will live in peace with arabs in the land of Israel in a just and prosperous and G-d fearing society.

Esther: You still do not get the idea, the time when Arabs are the enemy to kill are gone, however, the conflict may persist but in a natural flow of exchange. Both faces will influence each other and take it from me: I am a Palestinian and Moslem and believe in the future. There will be peace whatever your fears are. This is only the start and peace will change the face of the conflict. The initiative is meant to be the start of changing attitudes including yours. There is no other way than discovering each other and language is the best tool. Who knows what will be discovered? here is always something good in learning but stop saying the enemy.