I’ve been coming to Palestine/Israel for the past six years. I have never attempted to learn Hebrew even though it should be very easy to pick up for Arabic speakers like me, since both Arabic and Hebrew have the same linguistic roots (except for the alphabet). I have to say, I resisted speaking and learning it for political reasons which is quite paradoxical since I speak two other colonial languages (English and French). But now, I’ve decided to get over my refusal and start learning it just so I could answer back abusive Israeli guards. So for the past couple of days I’ve been learning the alphabet which is not easy since it’s completely different from any other language I know. I can now write all of the proper names of the members of my family in law and can read a couple of words off the caption lines on TV. If I listen carefully I can pick already a few words here and there because many words sound like Arabic.
It isn’t easy speaking it, while fighting off all the semantics involved. I’m starting to understand what it must feel like for Arab-Israelis who have to learn the language in school and memorize nationalist poetry in Hebrew glorifying Zionist leaders and their successful colonization of Palestine.
Isn’t it ironic that as an anthropologist, my first experience of true Otherness and alienation should take place in my country of origin?
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