The Israeli Ministry of Justice has admitted to significant gaps in the implementation of budgets allocated to support the Palestinian Arab community, following an inquiry submitted by the Mossawa Center under the Freedom of Information Law. While the ministry claims an implementation rate of 87.16% for the 2022 budgets, the Mossawa Center’s analysis found that the actual execution does not exceed 68%. The ministry tried to justify these discrepancies by stating that many of the plans were still in their early establishment stages.

The ministry’s response confirmed that it had not fully invested the budgets allocated to the Arab community under government resolutions. According to the figures provided, NIS 6.6 million ($1.85M) was allocated under Government Resolution 550 in 2023 but only 57% was implemented. For 2024, NIS 3.6 million ($1M) was utilized. For Government Resolution 1279, the 2023 budget stood at NIS 3 million ($800,000), of which only NIS 996,000 ($278,000) was implemented. For 2024, the implementation stood at NIS 1.4 million ($390,000).

The ministry further stated that projects planned for 2023-2024 are currently under implementation, with a commitment to utilizing financial surpluses from the 2022 budget to support additional projects.

The ministry detailed that the projects it funds focus on land registration, legal aid, promoting equality, social rehabilitation for individuals involved in criminal activities, and combating poverty. Despite reported progress in these areas, a significant portion of the allocated budgets remains unspent.

In explaining these delays, the ministry claimed that there are several obstacles, including lack of full cooperation from local authorities, ineffectiveness of some programs, large gaps between planning and execution.

The Mossawa Center remains committed to holding government ministries accountable for budget allocations and ensuring that funds designated for the Palestinian Arab community are fully implemented. Mossawa continues to monitor government plans and spending, utilizing the Freedom of Information Law to demand transparency and accountability from Israeli authorities.

As disparities in budget implementation persist, the Mossawa Center urges the government to take concrete steps to ensure that funding allocated for the Palestinian Arab community is effectively utilized, addressing systemic inefficiencies and eliminating bureaucratic obstacles that hinder progress.