Yasmin (pseudonym), a 32-year-old single woman with a master’s degree in biomedical engineering, lived in Nazareth until recently and worked for a tech company. However, just days into the war, the attitude towards her at work took a drastic turn, and the office atmosphere changed completely: "People I was sure I could trust started treating me differently. Seeing Arabs as terrorists became routine. I felt like I was constantly under scrutiny."
There is one moment she will never forget: "During a weekly team meeting, someone said something about ‘The need to return the country to Jewish ownership only.’ I couldn’t believe I was hearing this at a workplace that supposedly advocates for diversity and inclusion. When I tried to respond, the manager silenced me and said, ‘This is not the time for political discussions.’ That’s when I realized that in Israel, no matter how talented you are, being Arab will always be an obstacle."
These feelings led her to make a life-changing decision and leave for New York. "Friends helped me find a job, and the change was refreshing. I felt free to be myself without fear of being judged negatively because of my nationality, but only based on my skills. It gave me hope again."
Amal (52) is a single mother of twins and a social activist who used to live in Jerusalem. She worked as a coordinator at the Ministry of Education and never thought she would consider emigrating. But after October 7, everything changed. During an air raid siren, she was sheltering in a bomb shelter with her children and overheard one neighbor telling another: ‘I have no compassion for Arabs; they should be exterminated.’ "At that moment, I realized I had no place here anymore," Amal says.
"I spoke with my colleagues about it, and they told me outright: ‘None of us have compassion for Arabs.’ They felt legitimized to express their hatred. I decided to choose a secure future for my children rather than fight for change. I understood that I didn’t even have the legitimacy to share a social media post expressing empathy for civilians in Gaza. I can’t change the Jews who think this way."
Amal decided to move her family to Berlin. "I worked all my life and left Israel with all my savings, severance pay, and pension. I’m starting from scratch in Berlin. The transition was smooth. The first month was tough, but then we found our way. The kids made friends and found schools, while I needed more time to process my emotions. In Israel, I was very established, I had a status."
According to the Israel Democracy Institute, at the start of the war, only 59% of Israeli Arabs (compared to 80% of Jews) said they preferred to remain in Israel - the lowest figure recorded in the past decade. Although this figure rose to 70% in October 2024 (matching the Jewish population), it remains significantly lower in the Arab community compared to previous periods, even those of severe security tensions. For example, during the spring 2021 riots in mixed Jewish-Arab cities, concurrent with Operation Guardian of the Walls in Gaza, 81% of Israeli Arabs still expressed a willingness to stay in Israel.
The sense of alienation from within Arab society, which has only grown since the outbreak of the war, is also reflected in the findings of a study conducted over the past year by political psychologist Nimrod Nir from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem: 57% of Arabs are pessimistic about the future the State of Israel, compared to only 29% of Jews. Accordingly, 27% believe that their children will have a worse future here, compared to 14% of Jews.
Do you identify with the green of Hamas?"
Lina (49) and Yussuf (50, pseudonym), a couple living in Jaffa, are considering leaving for Canada. They have three academically successful children in their 20s. Their eldest daughter holds a master's degree in computer science, their middle son is an engineer, and their youngest son is studying medicine. "We always thought Israel was a place where our children would have good opportunities and could thrive," they say. "But over time, things have changed for the worse. The feeling of insecurity has become the norm. The decision to leave is complicated for us. But after the war and the growing tensions, we realized that staying here is not an option."
"Our children, despite their talents and education, can’t find jobs at major companies in Israel. It feels like the job market is closed off to them simply because of who they are. They are no longer seen as second-class citizens but as terrorists. The opportunities, which were rare to begin with, now seem impossible."
Sami Asaad, CEO of Kav Mashve, an organization that promotes employment for Arab graduates of higher education, explains, "Ever since October 7, concerns and fears have surfaced in mixed workplaces, mainly from the Jewish side towards Arabs. Jews have become more insular and less open to the other."
Similar feelings were reported by Arab students about a month after the war began. A survey conducted by Kav Mashve found that 56% of Arab students felt unsafe about returning to campus, and 66% felt discriminated against compared with Jewish students. Nearly 40% of students who previously had Jewish friends on campus reported that these friendships had diminished since the start of the war.
In the healthcare system, where roughly half the workers are estimated to be Arab, tensions between Jews and Arabs made headlines in the days following October 7. "Jewish colleagues began scrutinizing Arab employees across all professions, demanding they condemn Hamas or questioning their social media activity: ‘Did you share this post? Did you like that post? Do you identify with the green of Hamas?’" says Leah Wapner, CEO of the Israel Medical Association. "This was a time when many medical professionals were deeply anxious. As a result, Arab employees became extremely defensive, and ultimately, both groups withdrew into themselves. This created enormous division and distance."
35 murders since the beginning of the year
Feeling unsafe is another reason why Arab citizens want to leave. A survey conducted by political psychologist Nimrod Nir in October 2024 found that 47% of Arabs in Israel feared for their lives to a large degree.
The Arab community’s sense of insecurity is also linked to rising crime rates. Over the past five years, crime in Arab society has surged, with each year seeing more victims than the previous one. At the beginning of this month, six people were murdered in a single day. Since the start of the year, 35 Arab citizens have been murdered (as of February 19), including two women - compared with 21 in the same period the previous year. 28 of the 2025 victims were shot to death, of which 15 were under 30 years of age, according to non-profit organization The Abraham Initiatives. The Bureau for Combating Crime and Violence in Arab Society in the Prime Minister's Office analyzed the 2024 cases and found that 85% of the cases remain unsolved.
Kholoud Abu Ahmad (38) from Nazareth, a social activist who works for the Nazareth Cultural & Tourism Association, is also considering emigrating. She has begun looking into options in Portugal and Greece with her partner and a group of friends. Among the factors, she cites the crime in Arab communities that is not being addressed, as well as economic difficulties that stem from what she calls "economic discrimination." "There are large gaps in educational and employment opportunities compared with the Jewish population. The cost of living is skyrocketing, defense budgets increase significantly during times of war, and this comes at the expense of social budgets and at the expense of Arab society, which is already a low priority."
Nawa Jahshan Batshon, CEO of Co-Impact, an organization that promotes Arab employment in the business sector, says that it is more difficult for Arab candidates to find work today than in the past, but says the reasons why are not exactly known, since the entire economy is in a slowdown. In any case, she says, there are more Arab academics looking for opportunities abroad. "High-tech is slowing down, there are fewer junior positions and there is greater competition for every open position. That is why I encounter more students and academics from Arab society trying to find employment and study opportunities abroad."
Brain drain is a dangerous phenomenon in any country, since those who leave have high economic value. In Arab society too, if there is a significant rate of departure, it will probably be mainly those with a high level of skills and advanced degrees, who can easily find work abroad.
"The departure of Arab academics is a trend that began even before the war, and has only accelerated since," says Dr. Marian Tehawkho, director of the Center for Economic Policy of Arab Society at Reichman University.
Like any population group, here too, the educated have the potential to migrate due to their employment and income opportunities, meaning those with the potential to raise up Arab society. "If the government does not act to prevent this migration, it will pay a heavy price not only economically, but also socially. A shift in approach and policy towards diversity and inclusion is needed, even in tense times," says Tehawkho.
"We will all benefit from equality"
Before the war, the representation of Arabs in Israel’s private sector was already low at about 6%. In senior management roles, it was around 1%. In the Israeli tech sector, only about 2% of employees are Arab.
Jahshan says that "In recent years there has been a significant increase in the percentage of students in academia and an increase in the percentage of students studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects. However, this increase is not sufficiently reflected in the high-tech industry. In the current period, it has become more complex."
Who could we be missing out on? At the four major global tech firms - Apple, Amazon, Intel, and Nvidia - Arab Israelis hold senior executive positions: Johny Srouji at Apple, Nafea Bshara at Amazon AWS, Reda Masarwa at Intel, and Ali Ayoub at Nvidia.
The Authority for the Economic Development of the Minorities Sector stated, "The Authority continues to operate with a variety of tools to encourage the return of Arab workers to the labor market. It is also working to increase measures to encourage diversity and inclusion in private companies through the Co-Impact initiative, which dozens of private companies have already adopted, with new ones joining every year. As part of this project, companies receive support in building a work plan for the inclusion and integration of Arab workers, training for recruitment and human resources personnel, and support and adaptation for implementation of the plan. In addition, government grants are provided to incentivize employers to take in Arab workers."
Full disclosure: This article was prepared together with participants in the journalism course conducted by "Globes" and I’lam - Arab Center for Media Freedom, Development and Research.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on February 23, 2025.
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