Israel's Communications Ministry Fails on Diversity Goals, Except for Haredi Representation

A new report by the "Transparent" watchdog project "Ministerometer" reveals that Israel's Ministry of Communications has largely failed to meet national diversity targets for public service employment between 2021 and 2025. While the ministry saw a significant increase in Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) employees, reaching 7.4% by 2025, other minority groups remain severely underrepresented.

The ministry fell short of the 10% target for Arab citizens, with their representation hovering around 5.8% in 2025, showing little improvement over the years. Similarly, individuals with disabilities represented only 2.1% of the workforce in 2023 and subsequent years, well below the 5% goal. Ethiopian Israelis fared even worse, with their representation dropping to a mere 0.5% in 2025, compared to a target of 1.7%, and they were absent from ministry data for two years within the reporting period.

Furthermore, the report highlights a "glass ceiling" effect, particularly for senior positions. In 2025, only Haredi employees were represented in the highest "senior" tier, while Arab citizens, people with disabilities, and Ethiopian Israelis had virtually no presence in this category. The ministry also saw a decline in female representation, falling from 50.1% in 2021 to 43.2% in 2025, with a particularly stark gender imbalance among Arab employees.

Despite the overall increase in diversity employment from approximately 11.3% in 2022 to 16.3% in 2025, this rise was primarily driven by the growth in Haredi staff. The report concludes that the Ministry of Communications has not significantly closed the gaps for most diversity groups, earning a "Fail" grade in the "Ministerometer's" equality and accessibility index.