A recent audit conducted by the Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel examined the issue of idleness among young people in Arab society. The OECD organization provides the definition of idleness as a state where young individuals do not study, work, or participate in vocational training. The audit revealed that approximately 30% of Israel’s young residents belong to the Arab society, with around 280,000 individuals aged 18-24 falling into this category.
The audit highlighted concerning statistics, indicating that a significant number of young Arabs were idle. Among them, approximately 22,000 men and 35,000 women were not engaged in educational or employment activities. Furthermore, the audit revealed a consistent increase in crime rates among the Arab youth population, with criminal cases per capita rising from 0.1 in 2015 to 0.15 in 2021, representing a 50% increase and a total of 6,000 additional criminal cases over the period.
The economic impact of idleness was estimated to be around NIS one billion per year, raising concerns about the allocation of resources. Despite a total budget of NIS 34.2 billion for the five-year plan to tackle crime and violence in the Arab sector, only NIS 436.5 million (approximately 1% of the budget) was dedicated to addressing idleness among young people in Arab society.
The audit also shed light on deficiencies within the education system, which failed to equip young Arabs with the necessary tools and skills for future employment and higher education. It further identified a lack of optimal performance and coordination among the government bodies responsible for reducing gaps between young Jews and Arabs.
In response to the findings, the audit report recommends immediate action to integrate idle young Arabs into society, urging the government to implement the recommendations put forth by the Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman. Addressing this challenge will not only “reduce socio-economic gaps, improve the self-image of the young, reduce the extent of crime among them, improve their standard of living, and work productivity, thereby improving the productivity of the Israeli economy as a whole”.