Socioeconomic research

In the context of its research activities, and through close cooperation with experts and specialists in economic and social affairs and similar academic and research institutions locally and globally, the Forum seeks to achieve the following:

Conducting applied research on alternatives and options for economic and social policies that aim to enhance the ability to formulate development policies appropriate to the various stages that the Palestinian Arab society in Israel is going through.

The research program focuses on two main areas:

The economic field and focuses on the following main sectors:

• Human Resources Development and Employment Policies: The data indicate that the participation rate of Arab women in the labor market is the lowest among Western countries in; that the wages of an Arab worker reach an average of 63.5% of the wages of a Jewish worker; Almost half of Arab workers work in blue-collar occupations (handicrafts), which leads to their exit from work at a relatively young age. Therefore, the research and application program will develop proposals for change in the following areas: encouragement of Arab women’s work, equal wages without discrimination on the basis of race and gender; Improving the quality of Arab labor, preventing early dropout among Arab men, encouraging specific commercial fields such as industry and tourism, and building action plans to improve human resources that contribute to the development of employment.
• Sectoral policies (industry, agriculture, tourism and services)
• Education: The data indicate that the rates of success in the “Metsav” exams and the percentages of those who are eligible for a high school diploma (matriculation certificate) among Arabs are lower compared to Jews. In addition, 53% of Jews were able to obtain an academic education (13 years of schooling or more), compared to 25.3% of Arabs. Therefore, a research program should be developed aimed at understanding projections of discrimination in the resources granted to students in the Arab educational system compared to those granted to students in the Hebrew educational system, and then suggesting a program to bridge these gaps.
• Local Authorities: The average socio-economic rating for Arab local authorities is 2.9, compared to 6.1 for Jewish authorities. In the absence of major sources of income, most Arab local authorities rely on budgets from state funds (hospitalization, balance, etc.). Therefore, it is necessary to develop a strategic plan aimed at creating economic independence for Arab local authorities, through developing industrial zones, expanding transportation capabilities, and replacing payments with gradual additions to the budget, whereby the rate of participation of the municipal authority is determined according to the social and economic status of the town.
• Areas of influence: Almost all Arab towns are not cities from a socio-economic point of view, regardless of their municipal classification. The proportion and area of land belonging to the Israel Land Authority allocated to Arab towns is much less than that of Jewish towns. The population density per kilometer of the sphere of influence is higher compared to Jewish towns of similar character. All these lead to low development potential for Arab towns. Therefore, the existence of an action plan and the conduct of policy research is necessary to influence the allocation of land by the Israel Land Authority to communities that lack publicly owned land, which is required for normal growth and economic and labor development.

The social field focuses on the following:

• Social security policies and systems
• Fighting poverty.
• The rate and severity of poverty among the Arab population is higher compared to the Jewish majority, and this has dire consequences for poverty in the entire society in Israel. The presence of Arab society at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder is a fertile environment for social decline and increased violence. It is important to conduct a study that examines the causes and consequences of poverty and allows for a policy aimed at reducing the gap in poverty levels between Arabs and Jews.
• Fighting unemployment.
• Enhancing the participation of civil society organizations in the decision-making process.
• Monitoring economic and social changes periodically, identifying their main trends, and predicting their future paths. Economic and social developments are monitored through:

Economic Monitoring:

• Periodic monitoring of changes in the economic policy environment.
• Provide a periodic statement of the economic performance at the macro and sectoral levels.
• Early warning of expected economic changes.

Social monitoring:

• Monitoring and analyzing social developments on a regular basis, based on observing the change in the main indicators: Demography – health – education – culture – employment and unemployment – social security – living standards – crime, etc.
• Submit a periodic report on social performance.
• Early warning of social changes and their main trends.

Early warning of expected economic and social developments and their main trends
Enhancing community awareness regarding the actual projections of economic and social policies and laws and their repercussions on the lives of citizens
Developing the institutional structure of the Palestinian Arab community in Israel and strengthening the local research capacity
Encouraging and attracting Palestinian scientific and research competencies to participate in the implementation of research programmes
Developing a medium-term plan to carry out applied research and studies in the field of economic and social policies, and translating that plan into research programs with clear objectives and reference frameworks.
Close cooperation and coordination with the Central Statistical Organization to analyze surveys and statistical data, derive their indicators, and anticipate future development trends to rationalize the policy-making process.
Publication of a yearbook titled “Follow-up of the Socio-Economic Situation of Arabs in Israel.” The book presents annual data and analyzes covering the level of social and economic development in Arab society in central areas that require special attention. Such as: education, employment, poverty and housing. A preliminary proposal for the structure and content of the book is included
The center distributes its research to government institutions, universities, research centers and private sector leaders. Summaries of these researches and their results are also published in the local press and on the Institute’s electronic page on the Internet