The national digital program of the government of Israel

The National Digital Program of the Government of Israel, published in 2017 by the Ministry for Social Equality, outlines a comprehensive strategy to leverage digital technologies for national development, focusing on three main goals:

1. Narrowing social and geographic gaps

Israel, despite its image as the ‘Start-up Nation,’ faces sharp inequalities in digital access and literacy. This goal targets:

• Bridging the digital divide between urban centres and peripheral or marginalised communities (e.g., Arab and ultra-Orthodox populations).
• Providing digital literacy programs, especially to the elderly and socio-economically disadvantaged groups.
• Expanding remote access to public services (e.g. telemedicine, online education, and digital rights realisation).
• Encouraging employment and entrepreneurship in peripheral areas through digital tools (e.g., e-commerce training, innovation hubs, digital districts).

2. Accelerated economic growth

The program recognises that digitisation is central to enhancing national productivity and innovation. Objectives include:

• Strengthening digital industries and start-ups to drive growth.
• Equipping the workforce with the skills needed for the digital labour market.
• Promoting data-driven innovation across sectors, including health, education, and transportation.
• Enhancing digital infrastructure to support both urban and rural development.

3. Smart and friendly government

To improve public administration and citizen experience, the initiative advances:

• Digital by default design for public services, ensuring that services are simple, accessible, and user-centred.
• Integration of open government principles, promoting transparency, data sharing, and public trust.
• Use of agile methods and real-time feedback mechanisms in public service delivery.
• Improving inter-ministerial coordination for unified digital strategies.

Key structural components

• Digital Israel Bureau: Central body coordinating the initiative across government, under the Ministry for Social Equality.
• Core areas: Health, education, housing, economy, and social services—where the digital leap will be focused.
• Horizontal areas: Cross-cutting enablers such as infrastructure, data governance, digital inclusion, and accessibility.

Operating model

• Emphasis on user needs, agile delivery, and iterative design.
• Promotion of multi-sector cooperation with academia, civil society, and the private sector.
• Alignment with existing ICT strategies and accessibility laws.
• Balance between innovation and safeguarding data privacy and digital rights.

Broader vision

The initiative is positioned as a digital compass for the government, aiming to:

• Maintain Israel’s competitive edge in global innovation.
• Ensure that the benefits of digitisation are inclusive and widespread.
• Create a resilient, digitally empowered society where every citizen can participate fully in the digital economy and receive public services equitably.