Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, seeking new cadets
Photo: Dudu Azulay
Foreign Ministry wants 10 minority diplomats
Following cabinet decision to increase number of minority member employees in government offices, Foreign Ministry opens special cadet training course aiming to almost double number of minority diplomats for Israel
The Foreign Ministry published a special ad over the weekend for the opening of a cadet training course meant only for minorities, namely, Israeli Arabs, Druze and Circassians.
The ministry plans to admit 10 minority member diplomats to complete a cadet training course at the end of the year.
This initiative is a revolutionary move in Israeli foreign service and will almost double the number of minority member diplomats working for the state.
There are currently only 12 minority diplomats working for the Foreign Ministry, with only a few of them having completed the cadet's course.
The initiative was raised following the cabinet's decision to significantly increase the number of minority members working in government offices.
Deputy Foreign Minister Majali Wahbe reached an agreement with the state service department according to which the number of positions secured for minorities will be increased, with the objective of having at least 30% of cadets being minority members.
Shimon Roded, head of the ministry's human resources and personnel division, said the ministry has come to the conclusion that minorities should be recruited to the cadet training course to uphold the cabinet's decision.
So far a number of minority members have been recruited by affirmative action, but the rules clearly state affirmative action may only be used in the event that two candidates are equally qualified, while one of them is a minority member.
The affirmative action method has made it difficult for the ministry to find enough minority member cadets.
Roded said, "It's important to stress that we are not lowering the threshold, and the minority candidates will have to pass the same tests and examinations that the rest of the candidates go through."
