Comptroller's report reveals: Employment discrimination against ultra-Orthodox workers in the defense industries

28 February 2023   

State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman published a security report on a number of issues today (Tuesday), criticizing the government's conduct. Among other things, the comptroller criticized the security dangers regarding the seam line, recruitment, and the discriminatory representation in the defense industries - where he discovered that people with disabilities and the ultra-Orthodox are employed there at low rates. In a monitoring report on the selection and recruitment for the IDF, the State Comptroller found that in the birth years 2003-1998, there was an increase of approximately 41% - compared to the potential each year - in non-enlistment due to "Torah and Art" among men and an increase of approximately 21% in non-enlistment due to religious reasons among women. In addition, there was an increase of approximately 11% in non-enlistment due to medical reasons, both among men and women. Overall, there was an increase in non-enlistment for all reasons combined, for the birth years 2003-1998, at a rate of About 3.5% among men and about 2.5% among women, so that the total predicted non-enlistment to the IDF for those born in 2003 is 31% for men and 45% of the recruitment potential for women. The State Comptroller also examined the representation of various populations among the employees and boards of directors at Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Alta. The audit was also conducted at the Government Companies Authority, and it emerged that there are populations that do not receive sufficient representation in those companies. Thus, the audit found that the employment rates of people with disabilities at IAI and Rafael (2.3% and 0.58%, respectively) are lower than that determined (3%) in the expansion order to encourage and increase the employment of people with disabilities. It was also found that the employment rates of members of the Haredi population (2.6% and 0.9%, respectively) are lower than the rate of members of the Haredi population of working age (8%); likewise, the employment rate at Rafael of three of the four diverse populations - Ethiopians (0.58%), people with disabilities (0.58%) and members of the Haredi population (0.9%) is lower than at IAI (2.3%, 2.3% and 2.6%). Comptroller Engelman recommends that the managements of Rafael and IAI and the boards of directors of these companies work to improve the representation of diverse populations in them, while also committing to acting according to business considerations. In addition, the importance of taking enforcement measures by the Companies Authority, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Equal Rights Commission for People with Disabilities is increasing, in order to ensure that Rafael and IAI meet the goals of appropriate representation. In the chapter on the seam line, the State Comptroller warns of the obstacle that has been abandoned and the danger to Israeli citizens: In 2021, 1.4 million Israelis entered through the loopholes, and even today 6,000 are still entering every day. According to the Comptroller, the IDF decided on its own not to fix loopholes from 2017. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet knew about the omission. Between March and May 2022, 11 people were murdered in three attacks carried out by terrorists who infiltrated Israel through breaches in the Seam Line fence.