Palestinian Hebraists

 Palestinians are intensely interested in the Hebrew language, some because they wish to explore their family history, others because it may provide them with some advantage. Interest in Hebrew has soared in the West Bank and Gaza in the past few years. Dozens of journalists are studying Hebrew in Ramallah while a 600-student school in al-Bireh has Hebrew classes. Even more surprisingly, Hamas began teaching Hebrew in its own schools in 2012 and thousands of Gazan children are now learning the language. “They are keen to learn. The classes are already oversubscribed.” It started in Hebron, whose inhabitants are musta'arabim - Jewish descendants (and the Whitest Palestinians).  Already in the nineteen twenties Arab families from Hebron petitioned to enroll their children in Jewish schools. Ill.: The Hebrew workbook of Ruhi al-Khalidi, who later represented the District of Jerusalem in the Ottoman Parliament in 1908.