"We didn't learn Hebrew, we didn't even leave the village": The young Arabs searching for a path to the future
An investigative report on the plight of young Arabs in Israel, who make up 28% of the country's youth. Ibrahim (19) from Kafr Qasim describes finishing high school without knowledge of Hebrew and finding himself idle. According to Ministry of Education data, the budget per student in an Arab high school is 10% lower than in a Jewish one. The national-civil service includes only 2,602 Muslim volunteers, and the CEO of the Ajik association proposes an alternative 'transition year' model.
An investigative report on the plight of young Arabs in Israel, who make up about 28% of all youth in the country. Ibrahim (19) from Kafr Qasim describes how he finished high school without knowledge of Hebrew, without exposure to the world outside the village, and found himself confused and idle. According to Ministry of Education data, the budget per student in an Arab high school stood at 32,800 shekels compared to 36,400 shekels in Jewish education – a gap of about 10%. The article focuses on the national-civil service as a possible framework, but notes that in 2025 only 2,602 Muslim volunteers served in it, an increase of 38% compared to 2018. The CEO of the Ajik association, Sliman al-Amor, criticizes the existing model, arguing that the word 'national' deters Arab youth, and proposes an alternative 'transition year' model of 12 months combining volunteering with Hebrew and English studies. The article quotes young people describing fear of crime organizations that become role models in the absence of frameworks, and notes that 32%-35% of Arab youth are defined as idle, compared to 11% of Jewish youth.