Participants

Special Thanks

The authors of this document would like to thank the partners who agreed to be interviewed, and who helped shape the insights presented in this document:

Ms. Salima Suleiman, Director of the Economic Development Department, Economic Development Authority at the Ministry of Social Equality. Mr. Sami Lahyani, Head of the Economic Development Department, Economic Development Authority at the Ministry of Social Equality. Mr. Yair Haruti, Director of the Strategic Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Village Development. Mr. Ihssan Hanno, Executive Director of Al-Fanar Company Mr. Suleiman Al-Amour, Assistant Executive Director of Ajek, The Negev Institute Mr. Ihsan Hanno, Executive Director of Al-Fanar Company Ms. Khawla Rihani, Program Manager, Joint Israel, Alka.

Summary

At the end of the year 2019, the Corona crisis occurred, the epidemic that spread rapidly, and was classified as a pandemic on March 11, 2020 by the World Health Organization.

Since its inception, this crisis has led to rapid and extreme changes in all aspects of life, in a unique and unprecedented manner. One of the central areas affected by the pandemic is the labor market: many workers went on unpaid leave, some were laid off, and many others moved to work from home.

The Corona crisis and the extreme changes it caused in the labor market have differently affected the various population groups in Israel. Despite the solidity and stability of the Israeli labor market before the crisis, the crisis has befallen the Arab community while it is in bad conditions due to the existing gaps in many operational characteristics between it and the general population in Israel, not to mention the operational, structural and individual obstacles that the Arab community has been facing for years. Some of which were exacerbated during the crisis on top of that.

In this document, the characteristics of employment in the Arab community prior to the Corona crisis will be presented, and the operational obstacles it was facing, in addition to the changes that occurred in the operating conditions of the Arab community during the crisis, while addressing the fields of work and the characteristics of the workers who were affected. We will also discuss the potential effects of the crisis on employment conditions in the Arab community after its end, the operational challenges resulting from the changes that occurred in the labor market during the crisis, and the opportunities that can and should be exploited in order to improve the operating conditions of the Arab community in light of the crisis. We will eventually make recommendations regarding possible courses of action.