In what is being seen as yet another discriminatory step aimed against Israel’s non-Jewish citizens, Haifa University has decided to remove the Arabic script from its new logo; the university’s name will now appear in Hebrew and English only.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Monday, May 21, that “the logo appears as part of a special design issued in honour of the 40th anniversary of the university’s founding”. However, the new logo has been met with objections from Arab students, as well as a number of lecturers at the university, who have demanded the reinstatement of the Arabic script.
According to Haaretz, Haifa University’s response was terse: “Like other universities, in official documents the University of Haifa uses a logo in Hebrew only.” Claiming that the latest move is not “a new policy”, the university added, “In cases where publications are directed toward various target audiences, the university permits English or Arabic to be inserted”.