Muslim police recruits decline sharply under National Security Minister Ben-Gvir
Overall police recruitment has risen in recent years, but Muslim enlistment has sharply declined, despite Muslims accounting for more than 18% of Israel’s population.
The number of Arab citizens, specifically Muslims, joining the Israel Police has sharply declined over the past four years under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, despite an overall increase in police recruitment. This decline coincides with rising violence in Arab communities and significant underrepresentation of Arabs in the police force, who constitute over 21% of Israel's population.
- Ministry officials attribute the decline to Ben-Gvir's directive requiring all candidates to meet the same minimum recruitment standards, including a Dapar score and Hebrew proficiency, effectively abolishing a previous affirmative action policy for Arab candidates.
- In 2025, only 0.26% of new police recruits were Muslim, Bedouin, or Arab Christian, a figure approximately 70 times lower than their share of the population.
- Ben-Gvir's office responded to the criticism by stating, "You will continue talking, and we will continue working."
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