Beyond Borders: Germany as an Academic Destination for Palestinians Arab Students

This article examines the factors driving Palestinian Arab Students from Israel (Hereafter: PASI) to pursue higher education in Germany, specifically highlighting push factors rooted in structural barriers that impede access to Israeli universities. Employing a research synthesis methodology, the study analyzes nine publications authored by the researchers across two decades, spanning Arabic, Hebrew, and English sources. This multi-method evidence illustrates how structural push factors in Israel interact with Germany’s policy, curricula, and cost-related pull factors to shape PASI mobility decisions. The study addresses two primary questions: What obstacles do PASI encounter when attempting to access higher education in Israel, and what specific factors draw them to Germany? The synthesis reveals that Germany remains a preferred destination—particularly for prestigious majors such as medicine and engineering—despite the challenges of German reunification and the emergence of competing host countries attracting large numbers of students. Ultimately, while Germany offers distinct advantages to PASI unable to access domestic higher education, it also presents significant challenges. This article explores this growing trend and examines its broader implications for global academic mobility.