The Israeli Education Ministry said that 200 schools have joined the program, 42 of them are religious. The new program is being led by schools in Haifa and the north, where the Arab population is most prominent. The ministry added that the program will soon be adopted by schools across Israel.

It added that until now, Israeli students had the option of learning Arabic to fulfill a requirement to study a second language in grades seven to ten. Other options were Russian, French, or Amharic.

The ministry’s northern district created the program, entitled ‘Ya Salam’, together with the Abraham Fund. It stipulates two weekly hours of Arabic studies — including spoken and written language — and a range of classes designed to acquaint students with Arabic culture and Arab students from the region.

“The aim is to turn the language into a cultural bridge — a means of communication. It is extremely important that every child come to know the language and the culture and thus communicate, hold conversations, and be tolerant in this country.”

According to the ministry, there are currently 1,000 Arabic teachers, most of them Jewish. But this school year 50 Arab teachers will begin teaching oral and written Arabic, as well as literature.