Prof. Dan Ben-David of the Shoresh Institution said Arabic-speaking pupils make up 23% of Israel's first graders in 2026, and their schooling will shape the economy for decades.
The Shoresh 2026 report, released two weeks before the election, says Arabic-speaking pupils' PISA 2025 results were below all OECD countries and below six of the seven Arab countries that took part.
Ben-David said closing the gaps serves both Arab society and the state as a whole.
- 23%of first graders speak Arabic
- 6 of 7Arab countries scoring above Arabic-speaking Israeli pupils
Entered 15 Oct 2026. If a figure in this entry changes, the old one stays visible, struck through, with the new one and its date beside it. How we correct.