January 29, 2025

New GR to Promote Hebrew Proficiency Among Native Arabic Speakers

On December 29, 2024, the government approved Resolution – 2618 (GR-2618), introducing a national strategy to improve Hebrew proficiency among native Arabic speakers in Israel. Building on the GR-550 economic development plan for Arab society (2021–2026), this initiative allocated NIS 744 M (over $200 M) to the plan  in 2024-2026 school years. However, NIS 672 M of the NIS 744 M budget comes from the Ministry of Education’s existing funds for Arab schools, with only NIS 72 M in new funding from GR-550.

The government resolution emphasizes Hebrew as key for social mobility, economic advancement, and integration into Israeli society. Arab men and women proficient in Hebrew earned significantly higher salaries than their peers without Hebrew skills, and improving Hebrew proficiency could contribute an additional NIS 1.27 B to Israel’s annual GDP.

Barriers for Hebrew Acquisition

Limited Hebrew proficiency has long been a barrier for many Arab citizens to socio-economic opportunities, perpetuating gaps between Arab society and the broader population. While Arabic is the mother tongue of  at least 20% of Israel’s population and serves as the primary language in Arab and Druze schools, Hebrew, as the only official language in Israel since 2018, remains the dominant language in academia, the workforce, and public institutions.

Studies show that most Arab students not only lack high Hebrew proficiency by high school graduation, limiting their academic and professional prospects, but that proficiency levels are falling in recent years. In 2024, the National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation reported that the average Hebrew language grades of Arabic-speaking students in 2023 had fallen back to the same level as in 2014, the year measurements first began. According to the CBS 2020 survey, 47% of Arabs speak only some to no Hebrew.

Although introduced to Hebrew at a young age, it often takes years for Arab students to achieve fluency. They face challenges adapting to the system of higher education conducted in Hebrew, as the Hebrew taught in their schools is primarily literary rather than colloquial. Additional hurdles arise from disparities in resources and teaching methods between Jewish and Arab education systems, further impacting their academic and professional success.

In May 2024, a conference on “Hebrew Language and the Young Generation in Arab Society Conference,” held at Haifa University, covered a range of barriers and priorities related to Hebrew language acquisition, among them, the separation of Arabic and Hebrew education systems. Within the Arab education system, speakers pointed to insufficient teacher training, inadequate budget allocations, limited exposure to Hebrew outside of school, educational content that is not relevant to students’ lives, and a lack of focus on spoken, everyday Hebrew. Professionals note that tools to measure Hebrew proficiency among Arab students have only recently been developed, with many pointing out a disconnect between Ministry of Education plans and classroom implementation. Shirin Natour-Hafi, the Education Ministry’s Arab education department, agreed, citing the failure to coordinate expectations and the perception of Hebrew as a subject, rather than a communication tool.

The GR’s Focus

The Ministry of Education states that the program will focus on several main challenges: enhancing the quality of Hebrew teachers to Arabic-speaking students; improving teaching, learning, and assessment processes; and promoting spoken Hebrew among students. The plan focuses on students from early childhood through high school. It also aims to strengthen proficiency in Arabic as a native language also building on previous initiatives under GR-550.

The main program objectives include:

  1. Developing Highly Skilled Educators involves enhancing teacher training programs to align with updated curriculum and academic standards set by accrediting bodies like the Council for Higher Education and the Ministry of Education. It includes revising certification requirements for Hebrew teachers. The professional development framework will also be reorganized to support the new curriculum across all grade levels. Additionally, teacher networks will be created to foster leadership and promote Hebrew as a second language through innovative and inclusive teaching strategies.
  2. Enhancing Teaching, Learning, and Assessment: The Ministry of Education is to adopt the European CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) as the national framework for teaching and assessing Hebrew as a second language. This includes aligning the curriculum with CEFR standards, ensuring external enrichment programs comply within three years, and revising the Hebrew matriculation exam to focus on speaking, reading, and writing. Hebrew will become a core subject in all Arabic-speaking schools, and teaching materials will be updated. Initiatives to promote spoken Hebrew will expand through both in-person and digital platforms, and academic preparation courses, including Yael exam prep, will be offered. Nationwide Hebrew proficiency tests will track student progress annually.
  3. Fostering a Supportive Learning Environment by integrating enrichment classes and community-based programs within informal education settings to enhance spoken Hebrew, particularly focusing on social and vocational integration.
  4. The program will streamline management and operational mechanisms by following the structure outlined in GR-550, with key modifications. A dedicated oversight team, led by the Director General of the Ministry of Education and including representatives from the Ministries of Social Equality, Diaspora Affairs, and Finance, will review and approve work plans for activities conducted outside regular school hours. Additionally, annual progress reports on the program’s implementation will be submitted to the Ministerial Committee for Arab Society Affairs for review.

Success indicators for the program include:

  • A 3% annual increase in sixth- and ninth-grade student performance on Hebrew language tests, compared to 2019 baseline results.
  • a 3% annual increase in the national average of 3- and 5-unit Hebrew matriculation scores, as well of students taking the 5-unit Hebrew matriculation exam.
  • By the end of 2027, at least 30% of Hebrew teachers in Arabic-speaking schools are expected to complete professional development training.

PM Netanyahu described the initiative as “an important strategic step” and emphasized that the government’s significant financial investment “will directly impact the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society, and as a result – will help in the fight against rising crime in Arab society.” The plan to make Hebrew studies mandatory for Israeli Arabs seeks to reduce crime by promoting integration and economic opportunities. However, critics argue that the initiative ignores deeper systemic issues like poverty, unemployment, and inadequate policing, while also reflecting a one-sided cultural expectation.

Limited Investment and Delayed Implementation

Although the plan was hailed by education professionals, Arab officials, and other stakeholders as a step in the right direction.  However, most of the budgets allocated, NIS 672 M out of the total NIS 744 M, comes from the Ministry of Education’s existing budget for Arab schools, rather than new funds. Only NIS 72 million over three years (NIS 24 M annually) is additional funding, sourced from GR-550, the five-year socio-economic development plan for Arab society. This raises doubts about the funding’s sufficiency for the program’s ambitious goals. Reallocating existing Ministry of Education resources risks diverting funds from other critical needs in Arab schools, potentially undermining broader educational objectives.

Explore Further
Barriers to Arab Integration into Israeli Higher Education Learn more
Challenges in Bilingual Education and the Quest for Peace in the South of Israel Learn more

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How Can We Help?

Do you need support integrating these resources and issues into your philanthropic, communal, or Israel education work? Reach out for consultations, connections to experts, program support, training, or to plan your next event or mission. If you’ve used our resources, tell us about your experience!

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