{"id":55525,"date":"2026-01-02T07:39:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T12:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/knesset-advances-bill-to-recognize-israeli-sign-language-as-first-language-of-deaf-people\/02\/01\/2026\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T07:39:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T12:39:55","slug":"knesset-advances-bill-to-recognize-israeli-sign-language-as-first-language-of-deaf-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/knesset-advances-bill-to-recognize-israeli-sign-language-as-first-language-of-deaf-people\/02\/01\/2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Knesset advances bill to recognize Israeli Sign Language as first language of deaf people"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The bill would formally recognize Israeli Sign Language while maintaining the status of other sign languages used in Israel. It would also require the state to preserve, develop, and promote ISL.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/coalition-support-leads-knesset-voting-213126334.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Knesset;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Knesset<\/a> plenum unanimously approved, at preliminary reading on Wednesday, a bill to recognize Israeli Sign Language as the first language of deaf Israelis, with 34 MKs voting in favor and none opposed, according to the bill\u2019s sponsors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The proposal, submitted by MK Chili Tropper and joined by MK Avichay Buaron, now moves to the Knesset Education, Culture, and Sports Committee for further deliberation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The bill would formally recognize <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/consumerism\/article-851792\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Israeli Sign Language;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Israeli Sign Language<\/a> while maintaining the status of other sign languages used in Israel. It would also require the state to preserve, develop, and promote ISL, with the culture and sports minister responsible for implementation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cSign language is a rich and unique language that enables a deaf person to communicate and express themselves in their natural language, shared and inclusive for all,\u201d the bill states.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Shirley Pinto, the first deaf Knesset member with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during a swearing in ceremony of new Israeli parliament members at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, June 16, 2021. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL\/FLASH 90)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The notes add that because deaf people are born into or live in hearing families and society, sign language is essential for realizing their full potential and for integration alongside Hebrew, with dignity, equality, and freedom.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">Over 50,000 people live with hearing impairments in Israel<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Israel\u2019s Central Bureau of Statistics reported that in 2022, more than 55,000 people with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/health-and-wellness\/article-880470\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:hearing impairments;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">hearing impairments<\/a> lived in Israel. The sponsors argue that formal recognition would strengthen services, education, and cultural access for the deaf community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">With no opposition in the preliminary vote, the bill proceeds to committee, where members will refine provisions on state obligations and oversight. Under the draft, the culture and sports minister would be responsible for implementing the law, including initiatives to safeguard and advance ISL.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Former MK Shirly Pinto, who is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/tags\/disability\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:deaf;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">deaf<\/a>, welcomed the vote, calling it \u201ca historic moment of redress, recognition, and equal opportunity.\u201d Pinto said ISL is a living language, culture, and identity for the entire community, and thanked MKs Tropper and Buaron and activists for their sustained work to promote the bill.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/knesset-advances-bill-recognize-israeli-114918927.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The bill would formally recognize Israeli Sign Language while maintaining the status of other sign languages used in Israel. It would also<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/knesset-advances-bill-to-recognize-israeli-sign-language-as-first-language-of-deaf-people\/02\/01\/2026\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/jerusalem_post_articles_818\/4144bdd0f5969f8d49910a842376888e","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55525"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55525"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55525\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}