Azernews.Az

Akbar Novruz

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Palestinian citizens of Israel are reportedly facing increasing restrictions on the use of the Arabic language in workplaces, according to a recent report by Middle East Eye, which documents allegations of discrimination against Arabic-speaking employees, AzerNEWS reports.

The report highlights several incidents in which Palestinian workers said they were instructed not to speak Arabic while on the job.

In one case, a manager reportedly sent a message to a workplace WhatsApp group instructing employees to acknowledge a ban on speaking Arabic inside the shop.

According to an employee cited by the outlet, the manager became angry after she briefly spoke Arabic while saying she was taking a box to the storeroom, despite using the Hebrew word for "storeroom" to indicate the conversation was work-related.

"She started shouting, kicking boxes and telling us we were forbidden to speak Arabic," the employee said.

The worker added that the manager told staff:

"This is a Jewish state. Here we speak only Hebrew. Arabic stays at home."

The report argues that such workplace restrictions reflect broader concerns among Palestinian citizens of Israel following the adoption of Israel's 2018 Nation-State Law, which removed Arabic's status as an official language and granted it a "special status" instead.

According to Middle East Eye, Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, who make up around 21% of Israel's population, view restrictions on speaking Arabic in the workplace as an attack on their cultural identity and civil rights, amid what they describe as broader discrimination in employment and public life.

The report cites testimonies from affected employees but notes concerns raised by Palestinian workers and rights advocates regarding the treatment of Arabic speakers in Israeli workplaces.