Vision to Reality: The Reut Blog

In addition to focusing on the relative lack of participation of Arab women and Ultra Orthodox men in the work force, the 2008 Bank of Israel report also identifies an unusual pattern among Arab men that needs to be addressed.

While the participation rate of young Arab men is similar to that of Jewish females, and stands at approximately 80%, there is a significant drop in their participation rate after the age of 45. The report suggests this may be down to the large number of Arab men working in physically demanding jobs who are later forced to take early retirement due to disability and other physical handicaps.

The challenge of integrating Israel’s Arab citizens into an economic and social leapfrog is a major component of the Reut Institute’s ISRAEL 15 vision. The drop in participation rate among Arab men probably contributes to the relative high poverty rate among Israeli Arabs (which today is about 50%). Therefore, a leapfrog in the quality of life of Israeli Arabs could be facilitated by a governmental policy aimed at varying the professions in which Arab men are employed.