Real names of Israeli officials have long been obscured by the Hebraization policy that created the Israeli identity. In this video, we uncover the original surnames of leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu, David Ben-Gurion, Ariel Sharon, and more, revealing how “real names of Israeli officials” were transformed under Zionist directives.
In 1948–49 alone, over 17,000 settlers changed their surnames to Hebrew equivalents. Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion even established a committee for Hebrew names and mandated all senior Israeli officers to adopt Hebrew surnames by 1955.
But this was only part of a larger project. Modern Hebrew’s revival, spearheaded by Eliezer Ben-Yehuda in the late 19th century, revived ancient vocabulary, borrowed from Arabic, German, and French, and turned Hebrew into a living language.
- Hebraization also extended to places: over 2,700 geographic locations, including villages, rivers, and archaeological sites, were renamed to erase Palestinian and Canaanite heritage.
Source: Al Mayadeen English