Israeli cities are becoming mixed: the number of Arab residents in Jewish localities has increased almost fourfold

In Israel, the traditional map of settlement for Arab and Jewish populations is rapidly changing. Over twenty years, the number of Arab citizens living in cities and towns with a Jewish majority, but not officially considered mixed, has increased almost fourfold — from 16,000 people in 2003 to approximately 62,000 in 2023.

These data are contained in a study by the Van Leer Institute “Cracks in the Wall? Mixed Cities in the Making,” prepared by Dr. Marik Stern. The report was publicly presented on July 6, 2026, and is based on statistics from the Central Bureau of Statistics of Israel for the period from 2003 to 2023.

The study shows that Israel is gradually transitioning from a model of several historically mixed cities to a new reality in which dozens of localities, originally created as Jewish, are effectively becoming mixed.

A 293% increase over twenty years

In 2003, about 16,000 Arab citizens of Israel lived in Jewish cities and towns that did not have official mixed status.

By 2023, their number had reached approximately 62,000 people. The increase was about 293%.

For comparison, during the same period, the Arab population of officially recognized mixed cities grew by approximately 70%, and the population of Arab cities and towns by about 58%.

It is important to note that this is not about the overall growth of the Arab population in Israel, but specifically about internal migration to localities with a Jewish majority.

The authors of the study examined 112 Jewish cities, local councils, and towns. In 75 of them, the share of Arab residents increased over twenty years. In another 26 localities, the Arab population was practically absent in 2003, but by 2023, noticeable communities had already formed there.

Where Arab citizens of Israel settle

Almost half of the Arab residents of the new mixed spaces — 49.9% — live in the Haifa and Northern districts.

Another 34.3% are concentrated in the Southern district, 13.7% in the Tel Aviv and Central districts. About 2.1% live in the Jerusalem area and in localities beyond the “green line.”

This geography is primarily explained by the proximity of Jewish cities to Arab and Bedouin localities, as well as more developed urban infrastructure, availability of jobs, medical facilities, and educational services.

The main centers of migration have become Nof HaGalil and Be’er Sheva. Together, these two cities account for about 43% of all Arab residents living in formally Jewish localities.

Nof HaGalil has effectively become a mixed city

The most striking example of change is Nof HaGalil, formerly known as Nazareth Illit.

The city was founded in the 1950s as a Jewish center in the Galilee and was supposed to strengthen the Jewish presence in the region. However, over time, proximity to Nazareth, the construction of new residential areas, the availability of apartments, and developed municipal services made it attractive to Arab families.

In 2023, Nof HaGalil had 17,036 Arab residents. They made up 38.1% of the city’s population.

Compared to 2003, the Arab population increased by approximately 282%.

The study also shows that Arab and Jewish residents in Nof HaGalil are not concentrated exclusively in separate areas but often live in the same neighborhoods. The spatial segregation index was about 0.25, indicating relatively low territorial segregation.

In fact, Nof HaGalil has already become a mixed city, although its formal status has not changed.

Be’er Sheva and Bedouin migration

The second largest center has become Be’er Sheva.

In 2023, the city had 9,539 Arab residents, which accounted for about 4.3% of the population.

A significant part of this group consists of Negev Bedouins moving to the city for education, work, medical services, and more developed infrastructure.

Be’er Sheva is home to a major university, the Soroka Medical Center, government institutions, and enterprises where Arab specialists work. The city is becoming a natural center of attraction for young families, students, doctors, teachers, and middle-class representatives.

At the same time, the growth of the Arab population in Be’er Sheva occurs against the backdrop of a complex situation in the Bedouin localities of the south, where problems with planning, transportation, construction, and access to municipal services persist.

Karmiel, Arad, Eilat, and other cities

In Karmiel, in 2023, there were 2,437 Arab residents, or about 5.1% of the city’s population.

Like Nof HaGalil, Karmiel was created as part of a policy to strengthen the Jewish presence in the Galilee. However, today Arab families are gradually buying and renting housing in different areas of the city.

The spatial segregation index in Karmiel was 0.21 — one of the lowest among the localities considered. This means that Arab residents are distributed relatively evenly throughout the city and do not live only in one compact area.

In Eilat, in 2023, there were about 3,133 Arab residents — 5.9% of the population.

In Arad, there were about 2,088 Arab residents, which accounted for 7.2%.

In Ariel, the Arab population reached 862 people, or about 4%.

The share of the Arab population in Lehavim was about 8.2%, and in Mitzpe Ramon — 6.1%.

The percentage growth figures in small localities look particularly impressive. In Ariel, the number of Arab residents increased by more than 2,500%, in Omer — almost 2,000%, in Meitar — approximately 1,400%, in Lehavim — by 1,353%, in Arad — by 1,350%, and in Eilat — by more than 900%.

However, such figures should be taken with caution. In some cases, the initial number of Arab residents was very small, so even growth from a few dozen to a few hundred people leads to four-digit percentages.

Changes in officially mixed cities

At the same time, the Arab population continues to grow in cities that have long had mixed status.

In Jerusalem, the share of Arab residents increased from 33% in 2003 to 39.9% in 2023.

In Haifa, the figure rose from 9.1% to 13.5%.

In Tel Aviv–Jaffa — from 4.1% to 5.6%.

In Lod, the share of the Arab population increased from 21.2% to 29.4%, in Ramla — from 20.4% to 26%, and in Acre — from 25.2% to 33.8%.

In absolute terms, the Arab population of these cities grew significantly faster than the Jewish population.

In Jerusalem, the growth of the Arab population was about 71.5%, while the Jewish population grew by about 27%.

In Haifa, the Arab population grew by 59.4%, while the Jewish population grew by only 2.4%.

In Lod, the figures were 83.3% and 18.5%, respectively, and in Acre — 55% and 2.3%.

Why Arab families move to Jewish cities

The study divides the reasons for migration into push and pull factors.

Push factors include the housing crisis in Arab localities, lack of land for construction, absence of approved master plans, shortage of new residential areas, weak infrastructure, and insufficient quality of municipal services.

Crime remains a serious factor.

Shooting, murders, activities of organized crime groups, and a weak sense of security force some families to seek housing in other cities.

At the same time, a more numerous middle class has formed in Arab society. This includes doctors, teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs, employees of high-tech companies, and government institutions.

These families have higher demands for the quality of housing, schools, public transport, medical services, and urban environment.

Jewish cities offer them a broader real estate market, new areas, better roads, public spaces, and more efficient municipal services.

NAnews — Israel News notes that the process cannot be explained solely by birth rates or demographics. The underlying factors are a complex of social, economic, and infrastructural factors.

Mixed cities without official status

The main conclusion of the study is that the existing Israeli classification of cities is gradually becoming outdated.

A city may be officially considered Jewish, but tens of percent of its population are already Arab citizens of Israel.

This creates new challenges for municipalities.

Cities need to develop Arabic-language services, adapt the educational system, consider the cultural and religious needs of the population, and ensure equal access to municipal infrastructure.

In some cities, Arab families face resistance from some local residents. Protests against the sale and rental of housing to Arabs, attempts to maintain an exclusively Jewish character of neighborhoods, and political campaigns around demographic changes are recorded.

At the same time, new forms of everyday coexistence are emerging in cities. Jews and Arabs visit the same shops, medical facilities, schools, universities, parks, and municipal centers.

Different assessments of the same process

The Van Leer Institute study primarily views the developments as a social and urban process related to inequality between municipalities, the housing crisis, and the growing mobility of the Arab population.

Right-wing Israeli publications describe the same changes as a demographic threat and the loss of the Jewish character of cities.

IsraelInfo, on the other hand, links migration to the long-standing absence of a comprehensive state policy for the development of Arab localities.

In fact, both positions describe different sides of the same process.

On one hand, Arab families leave their cities due to a lack of housing, weak infrastructure, and crime.

On the other hand, the growth of the Arab population changes the identity of cities that were historically created as Jewish.

What will change in the coming years

If the current trend continues, the number of effectively mixed cities in Israel will continue to grow.

Changes may occur especially quickly in the north of the country and in the Negev, where Jewish cities are located near large Arab and Bedouin localities.

At the same time, formal recognition of new mixed cities may lag behind demographic reality for years.

NAnews — Israel News believes that the main question is not the fact of internal migration itself, but the readiness of the state and municipalities to respond to it.

Without long-term policy, new mixed spaces may face conflicts over schools, housing, public transport, budget, and cultural identity.

With competent management, they, on the contrary, can become an example of a more integrated urban model, where Arab and Jewish citizens have equal access to infrastructure and municipal services.

The new map of Israel

Over twenty years, the number of Arab citizens in formally Jewish localities has increased from 16,000 to 62,000 people.

Nof HaGalil has already effectively become a mixed city, where the Arab population makes up more than 38%.

Significant communities are forming in Be’er Sheva, Karmiel, Arad, Eilat, Ariel, Lehavim, and other localities.

These changes show that the previous model of territorial separation is gradually eroding.

Israeli cities are becoming mixed not by government decision and not after official status change, but as a result of the everyday choices of tens of thousands of families seeking housing, security, education, and a higher quality of life.

Sources

Van Leer Institute study “Cracks in the Wall? Mixed Cities in the Making,” author — Dr. Marik Stern.

https://www.vanleer.org.il/en/publication/cracks-in-the-wall/