“Ya Salam”... a further bridge towards mutual understanding?

At a time when direct peace talks between Israel and Palestinians are back on the table after a 20 month stalemate, an additional initiative is being introduced by Israelis to help foster a spirit of rapprochement between both sides.

Israeli authorities are going to introduce a new scheme to make Arabic language classes compulsory in state schools. It is hoped that the scheme, called Ya Salam, will turn language into a cultural bridge and promote tolerance between Jews and Arabs.