Trampling its own laws

By Yaser Awad

For almost 60 years, Israel's Arabs have been trying to carve out a niche for themselves in Israel's public sector and government companies, but a hidden hand raises impassable obstacles. Yet wonder of wonders: what the leaders of Israel's public sector never accepted when it comes to Arab representation in the government sector, the leaders of the private sector, most notably hi-tech, have come to realize well.

Social organizations have been fighting against anti-Arab discrimination policy in government employment, and for equality, for more than a decade. Ironically the fight is based on laws and resolutions that the government itself made, but does not honor.

The data proves that the government breaks its own laws. Although Arabs comprise 20% of the population, the Civil Service Commissioner's report for the year 2005 shows that only 5.7% of the workers in government institutions are Arab, which works out to 3,251 out of 57,058 civil servants.

The proportion of Arabs among the 55,000 people working at government companies is just 1%. The number of Arab directors in government companies is 54 out of 557, or 9.7%, which is half their proportion in the general population. And this is more than a decade after the government passed laws requiring proper representation of Arabs in state institutions.

On the other hand, hi-tech companies such as HP, Intel, Amdocs, SAP and others have grasped what the government fails to, and support human diversity, as do companies in Europe and the U.S. Their belief conforms with the economic principle of cost/reward, as well as the greater good of their public image. Also, diversity among the workforce promotes social stability and helps bolster the collective economic strength of the country.

In Israel, HP has introduced a revolutionary practice to diversify its human capital and to establish a situation of trust with the Arab population. The company's human resources manager, Adi Bildner, who believes in human diversity in the workplace, is pursuing the practice without compromising on the quality of candidates.

A commitment to diversity is becoming part of the contracts that many Israeli companies sign with manpower companies. The drive includes workshops for Arab higher-education graduates in writing resumes and interviewing at hi-tech companies, as well as seminars for Arab high-school seniors to expose them to the hi-tech world, and so on.

But meanwhile, the mills of equality-diversity in government service do nothing but creak. A hidden hand is acting to block diversity from reaching the hallowed halls of government. But the government should learn from the private sector and hire manpower companies in order to increase Arab representation in government service.

It can influence beyond the sphere of government as well: it would be enough for the government to require that its suppliers execute the principles of diversity in their workforces for Israel's socio-economic reality to look very different.

Is the Israeli government genuinely committed to equality between the citizens, and to removing the barriers blocking Arabs from work in government? Is it? Let its deeds speak.

The author manages a Fair Representation program at Sikkuy - The Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel.

Yaser Awad