Muslim police recruits decline sharply under National Security Minister Ben-Gvir

The number of Arab citizens, particularly Muslims, joining the Israel Police has sharply declined over the past four years, coinciding with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's tenure. This decrease stands in contrast to an overall increase in police recruitment during the same period, according to data obtained by Walla from the Israel Police and the Ministry of National Security.

This trend of declining Arab recruitment occurs as violence in these communities has escalated. Muslims constitute over 18% of Israel's population, making the significant underrepresentation in the police force notable. The figures indicate that less than 1% of new police recruits in 2025 were Muslim, Bedouin, or Arab Christian, a proportion vastly lower than their share of the general population.

Officials within the Ministry of National Security attribute the decline to a directive issued by Minister Ben-Gvir. This directive mandates that all police candidates must meet the same minimum recruitment standards, including a specific Dapar score (military aptitude rating) and Hebrew language proficiency. Previously, an affirmative action policy implemented before Ben-Gvir's appointment allowed Arab candidates to be accepted even if their Dapar score was below the standard threshold or if they lacked Hebrew proficiency, aiming to increase Arab representation and integration.

According to police data from 2025, out of 3,294 new officers, only 96 were Muslim, two Bedouin, and 12 Arab Christian. The majority of new recruits joined the regular police force, not the Border Police. While the Ministry of National Security highlights an overall increase in recruitment, driven by a rise in Jewish recruits, the number of Arab recruits has fallen. After a dip in 2019 and a partial recovery between 2020 and 2022, Arab enlistment has reversed course again in the last four years.