JERUSALEM, July 3, 2011 (WAFA) – Israeli government will discuss on Sunday the proposal of its Transport Minister, Israel Katz, to change names of Arab towns and cities to Hebrew ones.
Katz had proposed the “Hebrewizing” of names especially of Jerusalem, removing its Arabic name, “Al-Quds,” from signposts and changing the name in both English and Arabic to “Yerushalayim,” the Hebrew name, instead of “Jerusalem” and “Al-Quds.”
Katz stated that he intends to change the names according to a Zionist base and that “the names must reflect the state of Israel’s being Jewish, democratic and Zionist.”
It is expected that the Israeli government will approve Katz’ proposal today and raise it to the ministerial committee for final approval.
Arab Knesset Member, Ahmed Tibi, objected changing the Arab names and stressed that “Al-Quds [Jerusalem] will remain al-Quds; Yaffa [Jaffa] will remain Yaffa and Shafa Amr (a town in the Galilee) will always be Shafa Amr and not Shfar’am [the Hebrew term]!”
F.J.
