Arab Community in Israel Faces Social Decay, Calls for Urgent Reform

A commentary published on September 30, 2026, laments the severe social decline within the Arab community in Israel, describing it as a source of deep pain and shame. The author argues that families, schools, local authorities, social service offices, institutions, and places of worship have collectively failed in raising children and preparing them for life. This failure is compounded by an inability to pass down cultural heritage, values, ethics, customs, and traditions to younger generations.

The article contends that traditional family upbringing has been supplanted by "degenerate" television programs, internet sites, and social media networks that actively corrupt youth. These platforms are now more influential in child-rearing than parents, leading to the inheritance of familial tribalism and societal ills. Evidence cited includes the pervasive spread of violence and crime, daily family disputes and shootings, school violence, widespread drug use among youth, armed robbery, extortion, and escalating divorce rates leading to family breakdown.

The author attributes these negative phenomena to the erosion of societal foundations, the collapse of values, and religious and spiritual bankruptcy. The piece urges local authority heads to prioritize addressing these accumulated social problems and improving the social situation, viewing their positions not as status symbols but as opportunities for community service and reform.

It calls for an honest acknowledgment of shortcomings in child-rearing by all sectors of society, including families, schools, places of worship, local authorities, and institutions. The author stresses the need for educational reform, emphasizing the importance of upbringing in schools, and for families and all societal institutions to play a positive role in fostering societal change and development.