Add a place: languages and photos

Map Editors Community Israel - Israel Map Editor (WME) and editing rules
1

Hello, colleagues!
I would like to ask the community leads to clarify the rules for adding places, as I currently occasionally encounter places being added with names in Arabic only, and in cases where I add a Hebrew translation, the person who added the place demands either the deletion of the Hebrew name or using Hebrew as a secondary language (as an alternative name). Also, photos taken from a computer screen or from one phone to another are often added to places. These photos are generally of poor quality and do not show what drivers see when they approach the location. Naturally, I delete low-quality photos as well as those that do not comply with the rules. However, there are stubborn people, including some who have recently become editors, who do not like this and I receive negative feedback from them in personal correspondence.
For this reason, I would like to request that the rules clarify the prohibition on using copies of photos, and also mandate the use of Hebrew as the primary language for the main name of the place that appears on our public map (the editing map is available for everyone to view without exception, even if the viewer does not have editing permissions). To support my request, I bring the following facts:

The Legal Status of Languages on Public Maps in Israel
In Israel, displaying a map in the public sphere that includes Arabic only (without Hebrew) for official or municipal purposes is generally considered illegal or non-compliant with administrative regulations. Here are the details:

1. The Status of Hebrew as the State Language

According to Basic Law: Israel โ€“ The Nation-State of the Jewish People (2018), Hebrew is the sole state language. This means that all official information made accessible to citizens in the public sphere โ€” including government maps, road signage, and municipal diagrams โ€” must include Hebrew text.

2. High Court of Justice (Supreme Court) Ruling

There is an important legal precedent in this matter (the โ€œAdalahโ€ v. Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality ruling). The court ruled that in mixed cities, signage and municipal maps must be multilingual:

  • Hebrew must always appear as the primary official language.
  • Arabic should be added to ensure minority rights and accessibility of information.
  • Removing Hebrew and replacing it with Arabic only in the public sphere is contrary to the law and the status of the Hebrew language.

3. The Government Names Committee

All government bodies (such as the Survey of Israel or Netivei Israel) are required to use names approved by the โ€œGovernment Names Committeeโ€.

  • The committee determines official names in Hebrew.
  • The accepted standard for mapping and navigation requires the presence of Hebrew, usually alongside Arabic and English.

4. When might it look different? (Exceptions)

  • Private maps: A private business or organization can print maps for internal use in any language. However, if the map is placed as a directional sign on the street, it must comply with municipal bylaws (which usually require Hebrew).
  • Within specific institutions: Inside mosques, churches, or Arabic cultural centers, information may appear in Arabic only, but this is not a โ€œgeneral public areaโ€ like a park or a street.
2

In my opinion, there is a fundamental difference between a point-type place and a polygon-type place.
In a point-type place, if the drivers requesting navigation to the place are primary Arabic speakers, I believe there is no reason not to give the place a name in Arabic. (As long as there is no issue of discrimination against non-Arabic speaking drivers, such as if it is unlikely that a non-Arabic speaking driver would search for the place, or if there is a Hebrew name in addition to the Arabic name)
In contrast, for a polygon-type place, the case is different; the place is shown on the map for all drivers, and therefore even if there is no legal restriction against providing names in Arabic, I believe the rules should be identical to the rules for road names on the map:

  • Street name writing language - When it is required to name a street in Israel as defined below, the primary name of the street will be written in Hebrew. Alternative names can be written in other languages if there is a need for it. In settlements where the majority of residents are Arabic speakers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the primary name will be in Arabic.
3

I agree with @shay2x and Iโ€™ll add a bit more..

In my opinion, state laws mandating that authorities use the official language, Hebrew, are irrelevant here. In a private app, the freedom of action belongs to the app developersโ€”meaning Waze as a companyโ€”and it has granted us the freedom to determine the map editing rules.

Of course, in an app like Waze used by the countryโ€™s residents, itโ€™s desirable for the app to suit their language. However, in areas of the West Bank where there are no Hebrew-speaking Israeli drivers at all, or they are very few compared to the number of Arabic speakers, there is no reason to use a Hebrew name as the primary name. This is true for street names and should also be true for places.

Naturally, if a certain place is used more by speakers of one language or another (whether in the West Bank or outside of it), then the language they are likely to use for searching can be used. Additionally, no one is restricted from creating overlapping places in other languages for these users. Nor is anyone restricted from combining languages within the placeโ€™s name.

Itโ€™s all a matter of balance. Of course, in Israel, when a place appears publicly and passively (regional places), itโ€™s desirable for the label to be in Hebrew (it can also be in Arabic if itโ€™s relevant to the nature of the place or the area), and vice versa in the West Bank. But specific points of interest? In my opinion, we should act according to the type of drivers expected to go there. If the place is intended to serve only Arabic speakers (for example, a government authority in the West Bank), thereโ€™s no need to add the place name in Hebrew.

Regarding the photos, my opinion is that we should accept photos that the user took in the field. There are several reasons for this: the first is the quality of the photo. The second is how current the photo is. The third is the source of the photo (it might be copyrighted). When someone wants to upload a photo from a specific source rather than through independent photography, I believe the matter should be referred to the map editors authorized to upload photos through the editor.

Hope everything is clear. Forgive me if not, 1:30 AM, missiles, sirens, not fun.

4

Regarding the subject of photos added to places, there is an explanation page on Wazeopedia.. It explains there that a photo added to a place must be of good quality, and of course, if a photo does not match what is explained on the page, then it should not be approved (and if it was already approved in the past, it should be deleted).
If there is any further need for clarification missing from the explanation, you can suggest a change or addition to the rules listed there.

Regarding the writing language for place names, an update has been made to the โ€œPlaceโ€ page. This has now been published here.

5

Thank you very much :folded_hands:t3: