Muslim Recruitment in Israeli Police Drops Sharply Under Itamar Ben-Gvir

Official data from Israel's Ministry of National Security reveals a significant decline in the recruitment of Muslim and Arab citizens into the Israeli police force during Itamar Ben-Gvir's tenure as National Security Minister. In 2025, out of 3,294 new police recruits, only 96 were Muslim, alongside 2 Bedouin and 12 Arab Christians, representing just 0.26% of the new recruits. The total police force numbered 36,856 officers that year. The data excludes the Druze community and highlights a sustained low presence of Muslim officers in the police.

Ministry officials attribute this sharp decrease to a change in recruitment policy, which now requires all candidates to meet uniform minimum eligibility criteria. These include achieving a baseline score on the police aptitude test (typically 4 out of 9) and demonstrating proficiency in Hebrew. This stricter screening is seen as the primary reason for the reduced number of Muslim recruits.

The figures were disclosed by the Ministry of National Security and reported by Walla news, underscoring a notable shift in the demographic composition of new police officers amid ongoing debates about representation and integration within Israeli security forces.