Israel plans to recruit hundreds of new Arab police officers
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent 17 December 2009
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1135695.html

Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch plans to recruit hundreds of
new Arab police officers, who would serve as a way of doing national
service. Ministry sources say the plan has the support of Arab mayors and
council heads, though for now they are keeping a low profile on the matter.

Starting January 25, a few dozen police will be recruited under a pilot
project, some of whom will be doing national service. If all goes well,
after a few months, the numbers would increase significantly. For now the
ministry will pay for the project out of its own budget.

Two weeks ago, Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said the solution for draft
dodging was to require national service for everyone. Ashkenazi proposed
that the Israel Defense Forces choose the people it wants out of the entire
population; the rest would be sent to a wide variety of national service
activities including policing and firefighting. Ashkenazi said this should
apply to the entire population, and residents of the largely Arab Wadi Ara
region could serve in the local fire station.

Senior officials in the Public Security Ministry told Haaretz that
Aharonovitch's plan is at an advanced stage; the intention is to enlist
Muslim and Christian Arabs alongside the many Beduin, Druze and Circassian
officers who serve today.

"Even mayors in the Arab sector now understand that the entire population
must contribute to the state," said a ministry official. "If not in the
army, then in the police, or in education, welfare or health care. It can be
people acting within the local community and on its behalf."

The new plan also fits with the ministry's efforts to reduce crime and
improve police operations in Arab towns, many of which have high crime
levels. One goal is to open police stations in municipalities that request
them.

There are about 3,000 minority police officers, about 20 percent of whom are
serving as career professionals in the Border Police, not as part of their
compulsory military service.

The police will open preparatory classes for the new Arab recruits, many of
whose Hebrew-language skills do not meet police acceptance requirements.
Classes will be opened in Acre, Carmiel, Pek'in and in the Negev.

A ministry team is expected to finish its work in the next few weeks; it
will submit proposals on how to absorb the new officers and where to assign
them, both for the short and long term. The new officers will be placed with
the traffic police, prison service and Magen David Adom ambulance service.

After completing their service, the new police officers will receive the
same benefits offered to newly released soldiers, including preference in
university acceptance, housing, loans and the grants provided to demobilized
soldiers.