Actually knowing Arabic may help you in learning Hebrew. Many of the letters in the respective alphabets are identical.
In fact Maimonides says that Arabic is Hebrew gone terribly wrong.
I think of that sometimes when I see Muslims with skullcaps and beards. They look like Jews gone terribly wrong.
Yes I think it is too, however so many Arabs boast about Arabic being an entirely pure language. The pronounciation isn't too far off but Hebrew has a strong tone to it. Even looking at the numbers:
0 - Efetz
1 - Echad ------Wahid
2 - Shtyim-------Ithnan
3 - Shalosh------Thalatha
4 - Arbah--------Arba'h
5 - Chamaish------Khamsa
6 - Shaysh--------Sitah
7 - Sheva---------Sab'a
8 - Shmonah--------Thamania
9 - Taisha-----------Tisa'a
10 - Eser----------Ashra'
There is some relation. However Hebrew came first and arabic would need to branch off it probably, i do not know the history of the language itself, but Yacov Menashe told me they were the languages of Aden or something of the sort- I think I spelt it wrong.
