This paper examines the paradox of Israel’s education policies that promote economic integration for Palestinian citizens while simultaneously deepening their political exclusion, using the examples of the May 2021 uprising and the coalitionary participation of during 2021–2022. Over the past two decades, Israeli governments have expanded higher education access and vocational training programs aimed at increasing the participation of PCI in the skilled labor market. Within a neoliberal framework, this strategy seeks to harness human capital from the Palestinian population to serve the broader Israeli economy. Yet this paper argues that persistent inequalities in educational resources, institutional discrimination, and limited political power have created a paradoxical model of impeded integration. Drawing on interviews with Palestinian students, educators, and policymakers, as well as analysis of education and employment policies, the research highlights how the state leverages educational inclusion as an economic asset while sustaining patterns of political marginalization.

Authors:
Dor Gilboa, University of Ben Gurion in the Negev, Israel

About the Presenter(s)
Dori Gilboa, Ph.D. candidate in political science at BGU, explores perceptions of economic integration among marginalized groups. His current project unpacks the paradoxes of inclusion through storytelling, policy, and power.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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