Knock knock: How an Israeli's fascination with Arabic became a book - opinion

Robby Berman, an American-Israeli journalist and comedian, self-published 'Min Taq Taq', a 272-page collection of colloquial Arabic idioms with English translations. Now in its fourth printing, the book has been purchased by former Mossad head Efraim Halevy and Israeli security agencies. Berman studied Arabic for two decades after a café encounter, aiming to bridge Jewish and Arab cultures.

Robby Berman, an American-Israeli journalist and comedian, has self-published 'Min Taq Taq', a 272-page hardcover collection of colloquial Arabic idioms with English transliterations and translations. Now in its fourth printing, the book has been purchased by former Mossad head Efraim Halevy, IDF Unit 8200, and the Shin Bet. Berman, who moved to Israel in 1989, began studying Arabic two decades ago after a chance encounter in a Jerusalem café. He kept an Excel sheet of idioms to avoid linguistic faux pas. The book includes idioms like 'He still hasn't gotten out of the egg' for 'He's wet behind the ears.' Berman says his goal is to create better understanding between Arabs and Jews. The article notes that his empathy for Palestinians cost him friends who thought he was 'consorting with the enemy.'

Knock knock: How an Israeli's fascination with Arabic became a book - opinion