Language Study Can Help Bridge Cultures

Re “Proposal to Teach Arabic Stirs Debate,” June 12: The proposal to make Arabic studies mandatory for every high school student in Israel is extremely important. True peace cannot be imposed on two people if all they know about each other is a bloody history, mostly who killed whom, when and how many. Mutual study of each other’s language and culture will promote mutual understanding and respect.

Each time I speak Arabic with an Arab in Israel, I see an immediate difference in reaction; suspicion and distance change to friendliness and trust, and I change from occupier and foreigner to an equal partner, “one of us.” Language is not just words but culture, values, history--really the best bridge to “the other.” This is especially so regarding Hebrew and Arabic, which are linguistically related. This close relation can be carried to better relations between the two peoples.

Yona Sabar

Professor, Dept. of Near Eastern

Languages and Cultures, UCLA

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Re “Attacks Lead Jews to Halt Israel Trips,” June 11: It is upsetting to read that Jewish tourism to Israel has decreased dramatically due to the wave of violence that has hit that land since September 2000. I recall how the 1967 Six-Day and 1973 Yom Kippur wars united and activated world Jewry in support of Israel. (It was those events that motivated me to make aliyah , or immigrate to Israel, and take an active role in American Jewish life upon returning to the U.S. years later.) Through our own indifference toward Israel and Judaism in the diaspora, we are fulfilling the centuries-old dream of the enemies of Israel and Jewry.

Peter M. Small

Placentia

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Re “Any Palestinian Regime Given to Terror Shall Not Survive,” by Benjamin Netanyahu, Commentary, June 8: Perhaps those in political power in Israel need to “get the message” that any Israeli regime given to terror shall not survive. How? By making it clear that the U.S. will cut off economic support to Israel so long as such a regime is in power.

Stephen Simon

Claremont

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Profiling, apparently, is a problem not restricted to race. “Mortal Question of ‘Jewishness’ ” (June 8) showed that anti-religious members of the Knesset [Israel’s parliament] cynically invented a story to drive a wedge between secular Israelis and the religious sector. No one bothered to check with the “bad guys” to see if it was true. The story did its damage in Israel, and enjoyed wide distribution before it was exposed as unfounded. Opinion shapers, whether in Israel or the U.S., often assume the worst about people of strong religious conviction.

Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein

Press Liaison, Rabbinical

Council of California, L.A.