Arab Employment in Israel: The Quest for Equal Employment Opportunity

Although in the 1960s and mid-1970s scholars began to question the ability of Israeli Arabs to find equal employment opportunities, there has been no systematic study of employment discrimination against Arabs. Based on demographic data and fieldwork in 48 large Israeli corporations, this study fills that void. While the demographic data indicates the Arabs’ disadvantaged position, Wolkinson also provides new insights obtained from interviews with personnel managers and union representatives on the nature and scope of Arab employment, recruitment and selection criteria used in employing workers, management’s assessment of Arab performance and managerial, union and worker attitudes toward Arab employment. Having identified a complex web of discriminatory barriers to Arab employment, Wolkinson evaluates the current legal framework and recommends changes in government, employer and union policies to promote equal employment opportunities for Arabs.

Located in geographical areas with large Arab populations, the corporations studied afforded significant insight into the kinds of jobs Arabs obtain in Israeli society, enabling the author to identify a complex web of discriminatory barriers corporations have erected to restrict Arab employment.