Language Research

Israel is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-lingual society. While groups are not separated by official policy, a number of different sectors within the society are somewhat segregated and maintain their strong cultural, religious, ideological and/or ethnic identity. The country is not a melting pot society, but rather more a mosaic made up of different population groups coexisting within the framework of a democratic state.

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE ARAB COMMUNITY

Israeli Arabs are not provided with the same quality of education, housing, employment, and social services as Jews. In addition, government is proportionally far lower in predominantly Arab areas than in Jewish areas.

Israeli Arabs are underrepresented in the student bodies and faculties of most universities and in the higher level professional and business ranks. Well-educated Arabs often are unable to find jobs commensurate with their level of education. Arab Ph.D.'s suffer the greatest problems in this regard. A small number of Israeli Arabs have risen to responsible positions in the civil service, generally in the Arab departments of government ministries. Arab citizens comprise only 6.2% of the civil service and less than 1% of the position in the four senior-most civil service grades. The Government has allocated only very limited resources to enforce the landmark 1995 legislation prohibiting discrimination in employment. Israeli Arabs are not allowed to work in companies with defense contracts or in security-related fields.

Arab children make up a quarter of the public school population, but government resources for them are less than proportionate to those for Jewish children. Many schools in Arab communities remain dilapidated and overcrowded, lack special education services and counselors, have poor libraries, and have no sports facilities. Arab groups also note that the public school curriculum stresses the country's Jewish culture and heritage. Israeli-Arab students are also not eligible to participate in a special education program to provide academic assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. A petition was filed with the High Court of Justice in May 1997 charging that the Ministry of Education's refusal to provide this program to Israeli-Arab students was discriminatory. The Attorney general's office agreed that the policy constituted impermissible discrimination but asked for 5 years to expand the program to Israeli-Arab students.

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