Recruitment of Arab citizens into the Israel Police has dropped sharply in recent years, with National Security Ministry officials attributing the decline to stricter screening standards and Hebrew-language requirements.
Official ministry figures reported by Walla show a significant decline in Arab recruitment, excluding members of the Druze community, during the past four years under National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The overall number of Muslim officers serving in the force also remains low.
In 2025, the Israel Police had a total manpower of 36,856 officers, with 3,294 new officers joining the force during the year.
Among those recruits, 96 were Muslim, two were Bedouin and 12 were Arab Christians.
National Security Ministry officials said the decline in Muslim recruitment followed a change in vetting policy requiring all candidates to meet the same minimum standards for joining the police.
Those requirements include meeting a minimum psychotechnical score, generally four out of nine, as well as demonstrating sufficient knowledge of Hebrew.
Officials said the tougher standards are intended to ensure that candidates meet uniform requirements before being accepted into the force.
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2 Responses
Arabs who support the Medinah (of which there are many, and probably most of those still living in Israel, most of whom have no desire to live in an Islamic State under either the Iranian or ISIS model, and whose throats would be the first ones cut if Israel falls) should be especially welcome in the Israeli police. Chasing them away is very unwise, unfair, and racist. Given that Israel has always recruited new immigrants (most of whom come to Israel not only lacking fluency in Hebrew, but without a background in any Semitic language), it seems dubious that Israeli Arabs would lack knowledge of Hebrew (a language very similar to Arabic, and that why would have been studying since elementary school).
When standards rise, some numbers may drop. The critical question for any nation is whether its defense and security forces maintain a consistent, high bar for entry. If the goal is a police force that serves all citizens equally and effectively, then common standards for all recruits are not just reasonable, they are essential. It ensures competence and fairness, regardless of background.