Issues in Linguistic Justice in Israel/Palestine

In a democratic society, linguistic rights are meant to grant all people full and free linguistic expression. Among other things, they guarantee that speakers of minority or non-dominant languages have the means to understand their surroundings, take part in social activities, express their opinions and aspirations, and enjoy the same conditions as those who speak the official or dominant language of the country in question. Infringement of these rights is a form of discrimination and a violation of linguistic justice, and is common in countries of mass immigration and or countries where local minorities speak languages other than the hegemonic language (Shohami 2014). In this course we will examine various arenas in Israel/Palestine in which linguistic power relations arise, and discuss their implications for individuals and communities. We will look at the situation in areas such as the legal system, the education system, informal language teaching and representation in the public sphere. We will analyze official policies and educational materials, as well as independent projects promoting linguistic justice, and will analyze the ways in which social power relation are reflected and maintained in the realm of language.