Israel: The presence and roles of Druze Arabs and Israeli Arabs in the Israeli police force
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Publication Date | 25 February 2010 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ISR103377.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Israel: The presence and roles of Druze Arabs and Israeli Arabs in the Israeli police force, 25 February 2010, ISR103377.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e4262002.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information about the presence and roles of Druze Arabs and Israeli Arabs in the Israeli police force was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, a 2008 article addressing the ethnic composition of Israel's police force was published in the international academic journal Policing & Society (Weitzer and Hasi 2008). The following information is contained in the article.
According to the 2003 government statistics cited in the article, 17 percent of Israel's population (not including Gaza and the West Bank) is Arab (Weitzer and Hasi Dec. 2008, 366). Of this population, 65 percent are Muslim (non-Bedouin) and 9 percent are Druze (ibid.). The authors note that the Arab population is "not homogeneous" and that other Arab groups living in Israel include Christians and Bedouins (ibid.).
In both the Israel Police and the Border Police, the majority of police officers are Jews (ibid.367). Specifically, 93 percent of the Israel Police are Jews, according to the 2003 government statistics cited in the article (ibid.). "Non-Jews" make up the remaining 7 percent of the force (ibid.). Of the "non-Jews," 50 percent are Druze and 18 percent are (non-Bedouin) Muslim (ibid.). Overall, the authors state, Muslims comprise 1.8 percent of the Israel Police (ibid., 373). The authors do not provide a similar overall statistic for Druze members of the Israel Police.
Jews make up three-quarters of the Border Police, also according to 2003 government statistics (ibid., 367). One-quarter are "non-Jews" (ibid.). Of the "non-Jews," 66 percent are Druze, and 10 percent are Muslim (ibid.).
According to the report's authors, statistics indicate that the Druze are over-represented in both the Israel Police and the Border Police, while Muslims are under-represented (ibid., 373). The authors further cite a 1990 Hebrew article that states that the Druze are considered by Israelis to be a " 'model minority' " who "occupy a privileged position relative to other Arabs," and who have "historically been welcomed into the police force" (ibid., 366).
Information on the specific roles of Arab and Druze police officers could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time frames of this Response.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
Weitzer, Ronald and Badi Haisi. 2008. "Does Ethnic Composition Make a Difference? Citizens' Assessments of Arab Police Officers in Israel." Policing and Society.Vol. 18, No. 2.
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: Al Jazeera, Arab Association for Human Rights, Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), Haaretz, Government of Israel, International Relations and Security Network, Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA), Minority Rights Group International, Ynet News.
