In a potent reflection of Israel's collective consciousness, the Hebrew Language Academy – the nation's highest authority for the Hebrew language, responsible for creating new words and setting linguistic standards – announced "hostages" as its word of the year for 2024, with the term garnering an overwhelming 45% of public votes. The selection process, which coincided with Hebrew Language Day, saw thousands of Israelis participating in what has become an annual tradition marking the birth date of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, the pioneer of modern Hebrew.
The choice resonates deeply amid ongoing national attention to Israeli hostages held in Gaza, underscoring how language serves as a mirror to societal experiences. "Heroism" secured second place with 11% of votes, while the procedural phrase "cleared for publication" – a term that has become painfully familiar to Israelis this year – followed at 10%.
This year's selection marks the fourth installment of the academy's Word of the Year initiative, following previous selections that have each captured defining moments in Israeli society. The inaugural choice in 2021 was "swab," reflecting the dominance of COVID-19 testing in daily life, followed by "madness" in 2022 and "sinkhole" in 2023.
