The University of Haifa has removed the Arabic script from its new logo, which appears as part of special design issued in honor of the 40th anniversary of the university´s founding.

The logo now appears with the words "University of Haifa" in Hebrew and English only, whereas the previous university logo included the words in Arabic as well.

Several lecturers noticed the missing Arabic script in the new logo, which now appears on official university documents.

Arabic and Hebrew are both official languages of the State of Israel.

On May 10, the dean of the university´s Faculty of Humanities, Prof. Reuven Snir, called a meeting of the faculty´s council, which unanimously decided to demand the reinstatement of the Arabic script. Snir wrote to the university´s president, Aaron Ben-Ze´ev, in the name of the faculty council, but has yet to receive a reply.

Prof. Ibrahim Taha, head of the university´s Department of Arabic Language and Literature, wrote Ben-Ze´ev on Thursday: "A university that wants to pride itself on good relations with the large environment of Arabic speakers and wants to incorporate itself in the special landscape of the north, and perhaps also lead good relations between Jews and Arabs in this region, cannot allow itself such an uncomprehensible and unjustified decision."

Dr. Irit Meir, head of the Hebrew Language Department, and Prof. Daphna Erdinast-Vulcan, head of the English Language and Literature Department, also called on Ben-Ze´ev to correct his "mistake."

The university responded: "Like other universities, in official documents the University of Haifa uses a logo in Hebrew only."

The university said this is not a a new policy. "In cases where publications are directed toward various target audiences, the unversity permits English or Arabic to be inserted," the statement read. (© Copyright 2012 Ha´aretz 05/21/12)