While there is conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, there is also a possible solution. It involves a means of communication that can be easily overlooked. It involves the scripts of Hebrew and Arabic.

Aravrit is an experimental script invented by graphic designer Liron Lavi Turkenich. The original purpose of the script was to suggest a common script for both Israelis who understand Hebrew and Palestinians (including Arabs and Muslims) who understand Arabic.

While Aravrit might possibly become Israel’s “lingua franca” script used between Israelis and Palestinians, the opposition would no doubt surface against such an idea from both sides. On the Palestinian side, they are concerned about how this idea was originally the idea of a graphic designer who is Israeli and such a change on Israel’s and Palestine’s road signs would be ceremonial, since it would not readily solve the systemic marginalization of Palestinians. Although the revitalization of the Hebrew language from the Torah to the everyday lives of Israelis is a miracle, what is not, however, is the relationship between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

This new script would definitely require native Hebrew speakers to learn about the Arabic alphabet. Although both scripts are abjad, which means that they use only consonants while only adding vowels on the top in vocalized situations, Arabic changes the form of the letter whether it rests in the beginning, middle, or end of any word. Hebrew does not have this feature, so while the synthetizations would diversify the letters, they would be difficult to learn at first.

For two nations with different scripts, Aravrit might appear to be a solution to the common issue of understanding the other’s tongue, it would be far from perfect in its implementation.


Image Attribution: Vimeo

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