Palestinian citizens of Israel are increasingly reporting instances of workplace discrimination, including being prohibited from speaking Arabic. One 19-year-old, identified as Salma, recounted an incident where her manager instructed staff to speak only Hebrew, stating, 'This is a Jewish state. Here we speak only Hebrew. Arabic stays at home.' This ban reportedly continued even when the shop was closed and no customers were present.
Salma's experience is not isolated. Similar complaints have surfaced from Palestinian workers in various sectors, including hospitals, pharmacies, and retail stores. In one recent case at a Good Pharm branch, a manager allegedly threatened employees for speaking languages other than Hebrew, claiming that hearing Arabic could deter customers traumatized by the October 7 attacks. While Good Pharm stated it would address the manager's conduct internally, workers report little change.
Legal experts and lawyers specializing in employment law, such as Alya Zoabi, have observed a significant increase in workplace discrimination cases against Palestinian citizens of Israel since October 2023. They attribute this to a perceived increase in the confidence with which such discrimination is expressed. Zoabi noted that proving discriminatory intent, as required by Israeli law, is often the primary legal hurdle, especially since the 2018 Nation-State Law downgraded Arabic to a language of 'special status.'
Cases often involve significant emotional distress for the employees. Salma described experiencing racism for the first time and feeling anxious about entering predominantly Jewish environments. Legal challenges are further complicated by the slow, costly, and uncertain nature of the legal process, which discourages many workers and their legal representatives from pursuing claims, often leading to settlements for a fraction of potential damages.
