Where are the Arab civil servants?

Members of the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel and Arab parliament members hold a press conference at a protest tent in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem regarding violence in their community, 3 November 2019

Rewaa Khatib writes in Haaretz on 27 April 2025:

A petition recently submitted to the High Court of Justice by the Mossawa Center – The Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel points to a long-standing and continuing failure of the Civil Service Commission to ensure proper representation for Arab society in the Civil Service, as mandated by the Civil Service Law (Appointments), which was passed in 1959.

The absence of proper representation isn’t only a violation of the government’s legal obligation to its Arab citizens, but it also directly affects the economy of the entire country. The fact that Arab society, which constitutes 21 percent of the population, is not properly represented in Civil Service decision-making centers significantly undermines economic efficiency, the narrowing of social gaps, and the government’s ability to develop policies that reflect and serve all its citizens.

Less than 1 percent (0.58 percent) of those employed in senior positions in the Civil Service are members of the Arab community. Almost all the government ministries refrain from promoting Arab employees to decision-making positions. Even in the Health Ministry, in which 33 percent of all employees are Arabs, only 3 percent of senior decision makers are Arabs.

The absence of proper representation is detrimental to the Arab community’s confidence in the government and its institutions, and as a result, leads to missing out on a huge potential for economic growth and social prosperity. The cumulative damage is costly for all the country’s citizens, not just Arab society. Moreover, the lack of effective integration of such a significant population into government institutions harms overall economic productivity and causes the loss of many economic opportunities.

It should be stressed that proper representation in the Civil Service is not only a matter of rectifying a historic injustice or fulfilling the government’s legal obligation, but is also a clear strategic need for all of society. Integration of Arab citizens into public systems, especially at intermediate and senior ranks, would enable the country to fully benefit from the human resources available in Arab society. That means creating a diverse employment environment, which fosters innovation and creativity and provides a broader and more holistic perspective in making political and public decisions.

The OECD, which includes 30 countries, discussed the subject of integrating Arabs into the Israeli job market as far back as 2010. The subject also came up in the organization’s latest report on Israel. It’s important, among other things, because diversity in the civil service manpower enables a country to better understand the needs of its population as a whole, develop effective and focused solutions for complex social and economic challenges, and strengthen social solidarity.

A country that fails to harness the full potential of all its population, especially a significant and central part like the Arab community, is a country that limits its economic growth, as well as its innovation and creativity. It also exposes itself to long-term social risks, such as an increased sense of alienation and exclusion, an exacerbation of social tensions and a decline in trust in government institutions.

International experience clearly demonstrates that countries that promote diversity and equality in their civil service benefit from high levels of performance, both economically and in terms of social stability. Countries such as Canada, Australia, and European Union countries, which implement significant diversity policies in the civil service, report higher levels of public satisfaction, increased productivity, and greater economic and social resilience.

The Mossawa Center’s petition calls on the Civil Service Commission, which is responsible for implementing the law and absorbing workers in all government ministries, to act immediately and effectively, while setting clear targets and suitable oversight mechanisms, to repair this intolerable situation. The data included in the petition indicate that in the commission itself, only 2 percent of the employees are Arabs.

Solving the problem isn’t only a legal and ethical imperative, it’s a strategic socioeconomic step that will serve and benefit all the country’s citizens and guarantee a stable social future and a more thriving economy.

Rewaa Khatib is a lawyer, a CPA, and the director of the Socioeconomic Justice and Development department at the Mossawa Center.

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