Decline in International Presence of Israeli Universities
Israeli universities are experiencing a decline in their international academic presence, with a 20.5% drop in the number of foreign postdoctoral researchers during 2024 and 2025, according to data from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, against the backdrop of the war in Gaza.
Israeli universities are facing a growing decline in their international academic presence, with decreasing numbers of foreign researchers, expanding academic boycotts, and declining research partnerships, against the backdrop of the war in Gaza. The report is based on data from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, which shows that the number of foreign postdoctoral researchers fell by 10.1% in 2024, then by 11.6% in 2025, a total of about 20.5% over two years. In contrast, the number of Israeli researchers at this stage rose by 8.7% and then 8.5%, respectively. The number of postdoctoral researchers at eight Israeli universities reached 3,115 in 2025, with less than half being foreign, coming from 73 countries. Those from India constituted about 52% of them, followed by China at 8.9%, Germany at 6.1%, the United States at 3.7%, Italy at 3.4%, and France at 2.9%. The Hebrew University led the academic institutions hosting these researchers.