The Arab Israeli sector has been widely praised for its successful handling of the coronavirus. The public has largely obeyed the Health Ministry's guidelines thus managing to prevent a significant outbreak in Arab communities.
This success may have surprised some with respect to public opinion, but those who know the Arab community know that this cooperation is due to its desire to continue to blend into Israeli life and the economy.
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The average young Arab Israeli man is no longer looking to work as a construction worker or as a gardener, but rather he is looking for a career that will offer him professional satisfaction and make him feel like part of society as a whole.
A growing number of Arab Israeli youth seek academic education, and they are highly motivated to integrate into the workforce in fields such as medicine, economics, education, and high tech. This welcome process, which manages to foster a shared living environment, now faces real danger as the economic crisis that is affecting Israel has dealt the Arab sector a massive blow.
Unemployment figures released this week by the Welfare Ministry and the National Insurance Institute revealed a spike in jobless rates in major Arab localities that prior to the coronavirus outbreak, were centers of employment and life in the Arab sector and bolstered the weaker communities around them. According to the Employment Service, in April, 50.7% of job seekers in the Arab sector were people ages 20-34.
This means the development of the Arab Israeli population is being stunted. Young people – who used to work in malls, restaurants, and in sales – aspired to go to university to become bank executives, teachers, and engineers, now sit at home with nothing to do.
The financial hardship has also made many to use black market services, increasing the crime and violence already running rampant in Arab communities. Many businesses such as restaurants, fashion stores, event halls, and factories had to close their doors, leaving thousands of families devoid of a way to make a living.
The coronavirus crisis has also highlighted the gap between Jewish society and parts of Arab society, as much of the private and public sectors made the move to working from home. Many homes in Arab communities in the Negev and Galilee have lacking internet and cellular infrastructure, and some have none.
Rather than seizing the opportunity, improving infrastructure, and even integrating Arab women in the job market by allowing them to manage their careers and families by working from home, the gaps have been perpetuated, hampering Arabs Israelis' ability to successfully compete for existing jobs.
The government must immediately launch a broad initiative to ensure unemployed Arab Israelis are reintegrated into the workforce. This is the only way to continue the important process of healthy and real integration in the fabric of Israeli life – a process that can only benefit Israeli society as a whole.
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