Publications

More than five weeks after Hamas launched a murderous terror attack on Israeli communities in the northwestern Negev, and at a time when security tensions are spreading in the West Bank and on the northern front, the fabric of relations between Jews and Arabs in Israeli remains relatively steady, including in the cities with both Jewish and Arab populations. There has even been a decline in crime in the Arab society.

Addressing the Knesset’s National Security Committee on October 22, 2023, Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai praised Israeli Arab society for its exemplary behavior. Some officials, including Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, also commended Arab citizens, pointing out that Arab citizens were among the victims of the Hamas attacks, and many Arabs were among the first responders and the doctors, and nurses in Israeli hospitals. The Interior Minister also gave his support to calls from the associations representing Israeli building contractors and industrialists to allow Arabs to return to their workplaces. He reproached the mayors and local authority leaders who called for barring Arab workers from construction sites, and even sent one stating: “Local authorities are obligated to act with respect and equality toward all citizens of Israel – Jews and Arabs alike.” The letter reiterated that such decisions destroy the fabric of Jewish-Arab coexistence in Israel, deny Arab workers the right to earn a living, and “more than anything else, impinge on their dignity and their legal right to equality.”

The head of the United Arab List, MK Mansour Abbas, went even further, issuing a public statement in Arabic and Hebrew on October 30, in which he stated that “wisdom, responsibility, the public interest, and the vision of a future for us as an Arab-Palestinian society, and also as citizens of the State of Israel, obligate us to do everything we can to counter the extremist and marginal elements that try to push us into confrontation with the state and the security establishment – as well as with Jewish citizens. Instead, all of us – Arab and Jewish citizens – must insist on cooperation to maintain the quiet and to strengthen the fabric of relations, the understanding, and the tolerance, so that we can overcome this crisis by peaceful means.”

In general, daily life continues normally in most workplaces. The Authority for the Economic Development of the Minority Sectors, which operates within the Ministry for Social Equality, set up special hotlines to provide information and support to Arab citizens, in cooperation with the National Committee of Arab Authorities and the Kafr Qassem municipality. The goal is to help local authorities deal with the emergency situation. The hotline coordinates with the Home Front Command, the police, the Education Ministry, the fire and rescue services, and other government ministries, in order to compile the available information and make it accessible to the local authorities and nongovernment agencies operating in the Arab society.

Similarly, there are welcome signs of Arab citizens contributing to efforts to maintain the calm and keep the routine. This includes initiatives for cooperation between Jews and Arabs volunteering to offer each other mutual support, such as the Joint Civilian Headquarters – a Jewish-Arab initiative that is based on the Civilian Emergency HQ that was set up by the Brothers in Arms protest group in Tel Aviv and a similar Arab headquarters that was established by the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel and the National Committee of Arab Local Authorities. Another example is the campaign in Rahat, which is run jointly by Jewish and Bedouin women and distributes donations to the unprotected residents of the Bedouin diaspora.

At the same time, the continuation of the war and the state of emergency increases the dangerous possibility of deepening mutual suspicion, hostility, and fear between the two societies. This could undermine stability and lead to violent clashes and confrontations. Any provocative act could lead to a conflagration. The same is true in the context of limitations placed on Arab citizens’ freedom of expression and their right to protest the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza, and the potential devastating ramifications on the economic situation of Arab society in Israel. The police are ready for such scenarios, but how it handles any potential outbreak of violence will have a profound effect on how events unfold.

The Ramifications of Limiting Free Speech

The right to free speech is not absolute, especially during times of national emergency. Nonetheless, it is a right that must be protected, particularly during times of war, given the concern that government members might strive  to curtail it. Restrictions on freedom of expression, which is a cornerstone of every democratic regime, must be allowed only to protect public interest. Incitement to violence and support of a terrorist organization are prohibited by law. There is an understanding that this law is enforced, especially in social media platforms. This is not the case with responses on social media or other public arenas to killings of noncombatants in Gaza.

The state is also obligated to ensure equality (or the absence of discrimination) in enforcing the law. The state must enforce the law pertaining to the limitations on the freedom of expression, when appropriate, in the same way when it comes to Arabs and Jews. The apparent policy of sending the police or the Israel Security Agency to investigate – and sometimes even arrest – authors of social media posts in Arabic has raised concern among the Arab public of political persecution. This, in turn, could lead to unrest that would have severe ramifications. This likewise pertains to efforts to amend existing legislation to stiffen the punishment for the aforementioned crimes, or to change the police’s rules of engagement – and in light of the often inequitable way that the law is enforced among Arab and Jewish citizens.

The Ramifications of Economic Deterioration for Arab society

As a result of the arbitrary decision by the Finance Ministry several months ago to slash 200 million shekels from the budget allocated to the Arab local authorities as part of the government’s five-year plan for the years 2022 to 2026, and was approved as part of the state budget, the Arab local authorities went heavily into deficit. The treasury’s decision harmed their ability to provide vital services to their communities and prompted a halt to necessary developments designed to encourage socio-economic stability through social integration. The budget cut also hurt emergency preparedness in Arab communities – which in any case was substandard, lacking the physical infrastructure for emergency situations, such as shelters and reenforced rooms. Nor are there enough Magen David Adom stations, emergency medical stations, or other emergency services.

Increased unemployment – including unpaid mandatory leave – is one of the main problems that could confront Israeli society in general, and Arab society in particular. Around 60 percent of employed Arabs have jobs outside their hometowns; many might find themselves unemployed, either because they have been dismissed or because many small businesses are forced to shut down. Without a steady income, many will start to find it hard to cover their expenses, which could lead to a reduction in consumption and perhaps even force some to take loans on the gray market.

If Israel continues to freeze these funds, despite the ongoing emergency situation, it will lead to severe economic problems in the Arab sector. Increased unemployment and financial distress could aggravate poverty and contribute to an increase in crime and violence. All this would add to the frustration and possibly to nationalist radicalization and could create tension that would harm the fabric of coexistence between Jews and Arabs.

Policy Recommendations

Maintaining quiet between Jews and Arabs is clearly in the interests of the Jewish society, the Arab society, and the State of Israel, especially in a time of war. All the relevant parties must act to ensure that there is no deterioration into violence of any kind, since that would help the enemies of Israel and might cause immediate and future harm to national security. This must be the solid foundation and the guiding principle underlying every decision taken with respect to Israel’s Arab minority and Jewish-Arab relations. Specifically:

1. The government must create and preserve awareness of the importance of proper relations between the Jewish majority and the Arab minority. This is the clear responsibility of the political leadership and civil society in both communities.
2. All violence must be avoided, while preparing in advance for disturbances and clashes by deploying police and Border Police forces in critical hotspots.
3. The protection for Arab communities from rockets and missiles must be strengthened, and their emergency preparedness must be improved.
4. Every aspect of the government’s five-year plan for Arab society must be retained and implemented.