The wave of organized crime in Arab society requires determined law enforcement and an uncompromising fight against criminal organizations. These are essential steps, and there is no question that the state has a responsibility to ensure the personal security of all its citizens. But if the goal is to reduce violence over the long term, enforcement alone is not enough. Alongside the fight against criminal organizations, there must be a policy that expands opportunities, strengthens hope and creates alternative paths in life, with quality employment at its core.
A quality job is more than a source of income. It provides stability, responsibility, structure, a sense of direction and belonging. It strengthens an individual’s connection to mainstream institutions, raises the personal cost of turning to a life of crime, and creates an alternative path toward belonging, advancement and stability. For young people in Arab society, it offers a genuine alternative to cycles of despair, alienation and crime.
A Major Economic Interest
Investing in quality employment is also a major economic interest. At a time when the Israeli economy is grappling with a shortage of skilled workers, Arab society is one of the key engines of growth for the Israeli economy. Reducing employment, productivity and wage gaps is not only a social goal, but also a driver of economic growth. Research indicates that closing these gaps could add tens of billions of shekels to the Israeli economy over the years.
The more young men and women enter quality employment, the stronger the communities in which they live will become, and the smaller the pool in which criminal organizations can recruit and grow.
When we talk about employment as part of the fight against organized crime, we do not mean just any job. We mean quality employment, work that provides stability, opportunities for advancement, a sense of belonging and a professional future.
A joint study by Kav Impact and the AChord Center at the Hebrew University found that one in three Arab employees in Israel do not feel a sense of belonging in their workplace. This finding shows that genuine integration requires more than simply entering the workforce; it also requires a sense of belonging, opportunities for growth and a work environment that enables employees to realize their potential over the long term.
Quality employment is not measured solely by the number of jobs created, but also by people’s ability to use those jobs to build a stable future, develop a sense of belonging, advance professionally and remain in the workforce over time.
The question is not whether law enforcement is important—there is no doubt that it is essential. The question is whether we will be satisfied with addressing the consequences, or whether we will also invest in the factors that prevent the phenomenon from taking hold in the first place.
No one claims that employment alone will solve the problem of crime, but it can certainly be a central part of the solution. An effective national policy must combine determined law enforcement with expanded opportunities for quality employment.
A strong, integrated and thriving Arab society is not only in the interest of Arab society itself; it is an economic, social and security interest for the entire country.
Shadi Haddad is the CEO of Kav Impact.