The Use of Arabic on National Road Signs

Petition filed against the Transportation Ministry and the Public Works Department to use the Arabic language on all national road signs. Adalah argued that given the official status of Arabic, its absence from national road signs constituted discrimination against the Arab minority, and a traffic hazard. At the time of filing, over 80% of the road signs were posted solely in Hebrew and English; Arabic appeared, if at all, only on signs posted near Arab localities. In 02/99, the Court ordered the respondents to post town names and directions in Arabic on all national road signs within five years, and to pay NIS 7,500 to Adalah for legal expenses. As a result of the Court's decision, thousands of signs have been posted in Arabic along Israel's four major highways. Adalah continues to seek corrections to Arabic language inaccuracies in the newly posted signs; full implementation of the decision; and the hiring of more Arab employees by the Public Works Department.

(H.C. 4438/97, Adalah, et. al. v. The Ministry of Transportation, et. al., Takdim Elyon, 1998 (1) 11)