The diversity policy trap: liberal, republican, and ethno-racial dimensions of Israeli higher education

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) guide many education policies in liberal democracies, yet they can inadvertently expose their beneficiaries to labeling, discrimination, and exclusion. This study examines why and how this happens, to contribute to more equitable policies that eliminate potential harmful implications. It focuses on a 2017 policy plan for Jews of Ethiopian descent, which is part of Israel’s higher education DEI agenda. It analyzes the policy narrative emerging from 16 policy documents and 53 interviews with policymakers and implementers, tracing the policy drivers, mechanisms, and implications, and the way liberal, republican, and ethno-racial citizenship discourses construct them. Findings reveal a ‘diversity policy trap’ where liberal and republican discourses employ social, economic, and civic rationales to promote DEI, while an ethno-racial discourse enables labeling, discrimination, and exclusion. This study advances higher education DEI scholarship by dismantling its complex and multi-dimensional policy dynamic. It offers practical insights that call on higher education systems and institutions to explicitly address ethno-racial dimensions that may reinforce inequality.