Tel Aviv University President Rejects Gender Segregation in Higher Education Amid Knesset Debate

Tensions erupted in Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Square following a mass prayer event featuring gender segregation. On September 24, 2023, Professor Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University, spoke at the Ichilov Innovation Conference, firmly stating that his university will not implement gender segregation despite a pending Knesset bill. The bill, proposed by Knesset member Limor Son Har-Melech, seeks to expand gender-segregated study tracks to advanced degrees and is scheduled for discussion in the Knesset Education Committee the following day.

The legislation, which passed its first reading in May 2025 with 48 votes in favor and 40 against, aims to amend the Student Rights Law to permit separate study tracks for men and women in master's and doctoral programs. This move would override a Supreme Court ruling that previously prohibited extending gender segregation to advanced degrees and barred exclusion of female lecturers from male study tracks.

Women’s organizations and universities have warned that the bill threatens women's rights to equality and freedom of occupation, potentially leading to the exclusion of female lecturers and further marginalization of women in public spaces. Professor Porat described the legislative developments as frightening and expressed hope for a "miracle," emphasizing that academia should not change from what it has been.

The bill's explanatory notes clarify that the existing allowance for gender-segregated undergraduate programs for religious reasons would be extended to graduate studies, enabling those who avoid mixed-gender academic settings due to religious beliefs to pursue advanced degrees in a broader range of fields. The proposal is now under further review before second and third readings and a final Knesset vote.