• Arab Population

    The Arab Population Team was established in 2018 following many years of Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute (MJB) contributions to the study of the Arab population in Israel, with the aim of initiating and leading studies in this field. The team focuses on evaluations of large-scale, long-term governmental plans pertaining to various groups in the Arab population, e.g., the Five-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan for the Bedouin Population in the Negev for the Years 2017-2021. Currently, the team is mainly engaged in an extensive research program related to the Five-Year Plan for the Reduction of Gaps in the Arab Population in Israel for the Years 2022-2026 ("Takadum"). The team's work contributes to improving the implementation processes of these plans and to formulating policy recommendations for further actions. In addition, the team integrates knowledge regarding diverse aspects of the Arab population accumulated by all research teams at MJB.

    2025 Research Themes

    • The status of the Arab population in Israel – indicators, aims, and trends
    • The analysis of data related to Israeli Arabs from the 2022 population census
    • The uptake of socio-economic rights and benefits in the Arab population in Israel
    • A comparative examination of the status of Arab local authorities in Israel
    • Municipally owned corporations in Arab local authorities in Israel
    • The promotion of Arab women's employment in the "Takadum" plan and in related governmental activities
    • The implementation of the national program for youth at risk ("Yated") in the Negev Bedouin population
    Database of MJB studies regarding Israeli Arabs (Hebrew)
    Arab Population Image

    2025 Research Themes

    The status of the Arab population in Israel – indicators, aims, and trends
    The analysis of data related to Israeli Arabs from the 2022 population census
    The uptake of socio-economic rights and benefits in the Arab population in Israel
    A comparative examination of the status of Arab local authorities in Israel
    Municipally owned corporations in Arab local authorities in Israel
    The promotion of Arab women's employment in the "Takadum" plan and in related governmental activities
    The implementation of the national program for youth at risk ("Yated") in the Negev Bedouin population

    Research Staff

    Afnan Haj Ali

    Research Associate

    Arwa Majadlih

    Researcher

    Dr. Dafna Haran

    Research Scholar

    Dr. Yonatan Eyal

    Senior Research Scholar and Team Leader

    Maya Shanetzki

    Researcher

    Prof. Bruce Rosen

    Consultant

    Yoav Loeff

    Research Associate

    Recent Publications

    Complaints Submitted to the Ombudsman’s Office of the Ministry of Health by Members of the Arab Population in Israel During the Years 2020–2023: Characteristics, Barriers, and Solutions
    Tami Brosh, Dr. Nura Abdel-Rahman, Rina Maoz Breuer, Dr. Natalie Levy, Dr. Tal Norman, Dr. Yannai Kranzler
    2025

    The Objectives of the study were: 1. To calculate the proportion of complaints submitted to the Ombudsman by members of the Arab population out of the total number of complaints processed during the years 2020–2023 2. To characterize the complainants from the Arab population and the complaints submitted by them, and compare them to the Jewish population 3. To examine the attitudes among complainants from the Arab population regarding the submission of complaints 4. To identify barriers to the submission of complaints to the Ombudsman, based on the perceptions of complainants from the Arab population 5. To identify measures that could make the Ombudsman's services more accessible to the Arab population, based on information received from complainants
    Improving the Economic Resilience and Performance of Arab Local Authorities: Literature Review and Interview Findings
    Yoav Loeff
    2025

    The overall objectives of the research project are: 1. Help understand the condition of Arab local authorities 2. Assess the economic resilience and performance of each of the Arab local authorities 3. Identify both measurable and non-measurable factors that may be related to aspects of resilience and performance.
    People with Disabilities in the Arab Population in Israel
    Dr. Adi Hercowitz-Amir, Nurit Guedj, Tamir Ayali, Dr. Lital Barlev
    2024

    This study provided an updated overview of the number and characteristics of people with disabilities in the Arab population.
    A Comprehensive Evaluation of Government Resolution 2397: The Plan for Socio-Economic Development of the Bedouin Population in the Negev for the Years 2017-2021
    Dr. Yael Litmanovitz, Dr. Dafna Haran, Yoav Loeff, Zohar Or Sharvit, Arwa Majadlih
    2023

    This study set out to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the five-year plan: to examine the benefits of the plan to the Negev Bedouin population by drawing on an extensive range of perspectives and relying on appropriate research methods. In particular, the study aim was to shed light on how the plan was developed and tailored; to identify international best practices in reducing inequalities and strengthening community resilience, primarily regarding disempowered minorities; to examine the extent to which the plan achieved its core goals; to aid decision makers in improving future plans; and to provide the public with a reliable portrayal of the plan's development and implementation.
    All Publications - Arab Population
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