Under the pretense of “equality,” Minister Mai Golan is depriving Arab citizens

The Ministry for Social Equality was established to reduce gaps, strengthen marginalized communities, and promote social cohesion. Under the leadership of Minister Mai Golan, however, it has become the opposite: a tool of neglect, obstruction, and at times outright hostility—particularly toward Israel’s Arab citizens.

Two major government decisions—Resolution 550 and Resolution 1834—were designed to channel billions of shekels into long-term development programs for Arab society. These five-year plans were meant to improve welfare, education, local governance, and employment, while addressing the epidemic of crime and violence that continues to claim Arab lives at an alarming rate.

Yet, since Minister Golan took office, funds have been frozen. The permanent committee responsible for monitoring implementation has not convened, the ministry is absent from Knesset oversight sessions, and entire budget lines remain unused. The result is a dangerous stagnation: near-zero execution in welfare and social security budgets, and only token implementation in employment and economic development.

Golan has repeatedly justified the freeze with a claim that “there is no clear oversight mechanism” and that without such safeguards, funds could “end up in criminal hands.” This argument is misleading at best. If oversight mechanisms are lacking, it is her responsibility to build them—not to abandon entire communities. Instead of acting, she has chosen paralysis, punishing law-abiding citizens for political effect.

In another statement, she declared that she would ensure “every shekel of public money is invested where it is truly needed, not in foreign hands.” The implication is clear—and offensive. Arab citizens of Israel are not “foreign hands.” They are one-fifth of the country’s population, taxpayers, and partners in shaping its future. Suggesting otherwise undermines their belonging and delegitimizes their rights as citizens.

Most troublingly, reports indicate that Golan has used these budgets as bargaining chips in political negotiations, conditioning their release on coalition deals. Turning essential development funds into tools of political extortion reveals contempt not only for Arab citizens, but for the very idea of equality that her ministry is meant to serve.

The Ministry for Social Equality also oversees the Authority for Economic Development of Arab Society, a key body meant to drive economic growth and close gaps. Here too, we see neglect. The ongoing tender for appointing a new head of the Authority fails to require meaningful experience in economic development or engagement with Arab society. This omission risks a purely political appointment—undermining the Authority’s credibility and effectiveness at a moment when Arab society desperately needs professional leadership.

The current five-year plans expire in 2026. Drafting new programs should already be underway. Instead, the ministry is idle, raising fears that the next cycle of long-term investments will collapse before it even begins. The consequences will be devastating: more poverty, deeper inequality, and an ever-growing wave of violence in Arab towns and mixed cities.

This is not simply a matter of mismanagement. It is a conscious choice to sideline 20% of Israel’s citizens. In practice, the Ministry for Social Equality under Mai Golan has become the Ministry for Entrenching Inequality.

The Knesset, the State Comptroller, and the broader public must not allow these excuses to stand unchallenged. Oversight mechanisms can and must be built. Budgets must be released and directed to the purposes for which they were approved. The appointment of a new head for the Authority for Economic Development must be professional, transparent, and rooted in expertise—not in political loyalty.

Twenty years ago, the Abraham Initiatives recommended establishing a dedicated governmental authority focused on the economic development and integration of the Arab minority. That authority was eventually created and has significantly contributed to improving the socio-economic situation of Arab society in Israel. Today, however, under Minister Golan’s poor management—backed by the current government—many of the achievements of the past two decades are at risk.

Equality is not a luxury. It is a precondition for Israel’s resilience, democracy, and shared future. Allowing a ministry tasked with advancing equality to instead obstruct it is a betrayal that must end now.