BICOM

At a conference in Tel-Aviv yesterday, Israeli leaders pledged to do more to integrate the Arab community into Israel’s economic life at a conference in Tel Aviv.

The Arab community accounts for over one-fifth of Israel’s overall population, but experiences high rates of poverty. At yesterday’s annual Prime Minister’s Conference on economic issues, which this year focused on Arab integration, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “An important part of growth will come from the integration of Israeli Arab citizens in the Israeli economy…This is the policy that guides us.” He added, “I want to encourage private and business entrepreneurship” in the Arab community.

In her first public address as Governor of the Bank of Israel, Karnit Flug called for the integration of Arab women and ultra-Orthodox men into the Israeli workforce. Although there is a near seventy percent general participation in the Israeli work force, just twenty nine percent of Israeli Arab women work. Flug said, “We will pay a heavy economic and social price in the years to come” if such integration is not achieved, given the demographic patterns in both the Arab and ultra-Orthodox communities, she predicted the Israeli economy would suffer a 1.3% reduction in growth.

Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett also spoke at the conference, pledging “to break the glass wall” by bridging gaps to facilitate greater Arab economic involvement and achievement. He commented, “Don’t give up on us as a state, and we won’t give up on you.”

Meanwhile, Education Minister and Yesh Atid MK Shai Piron said that the Israeli system “has not properly handled education for the Arab sector.” He commented, “We can and need to fix it” specifying that improvements need to be made to the curriculum in Arab schools and in after-school activities.