Major decline in recruitment of Arab-Israeli citizens into police forces
According to the officials, the stricter requirements have contributed to the decline in the number of Muslim applicants admitted to the police
Recruitment of Arab and Muslim citizens into the Israel Police has fallen sharply in recent years, according to official Ministry of National Security data reported by the Israeli news outlet Walla.
The decline was particularly pronounced during Itamar Ben-Gvir’s four-year tenure as national security minister. The figures exclude members of the Druze community.
In 2025, the Israel Police employed 36,856 officers and recruited 3,294 new personnel. Of those recruits, 96 were Muslim, two were Bedouin and 12 were Arab Christians, a total of 110 people, or approximately 3.3% of all new recruits that year. Their share of the overall police force remained very small.
Ministry officials attributed the decline partly to changes in the selection process. All applicants are now required to meet the same minimum standards, including a specified score on psychometric tests and adequate proficiency in Hebrew.
According to the officials, the stricter requirements have contributed to the decline in the number of Muslim applicants admitted to the police.