The government announced its pleasure over the recently launched campaign aimed at persuading Israeli employers to hire members of the Arab community.

Following is the official government release:

The Government campaign to encourage the employment of minorities sector academics has been met with great interest by the business sector. In the first week of the campaign, almost 300 requests were received from employers who expressed interest in hiring minorities’ sector academics and in the incentives provided by the state. Leading business and financial bodies, high-tech companies, and law and accounting firms are among the aforesaid employers.

Prime Minister’s Office Authority for the Economic Development of the Arab, Druze and Circassian Sectors Director Iman Saif said that he is encouraged by the data and believes that the numbers will increase further. “In this campaign, we are shining a spotlight on the sensitive issue of employers’ prejudice against potential workers from the minorities sector. We are encouraging employers to look beyond a job applicant’s name and evaluate him or her on the basis of their qualifications in the clear knowledge that the economic progress of the Arab sector will contribute to the economic and social strength of the State of Israel even as the employers themselves receive quality employees.

The Authority initiated the campaign in the wake of studies which showed that Israeli economy is losing approximately NIS 30 billion per annum as a result of the low participation of this population group in the labor market.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)