Israeli Parliament Approves Law Allowing Gender-Segregated Higher Education Tracks

The Israeli Knesset's Education, Culture and Sports Committee approved the bill permitting higher education institutions to offer separate study tracks for men and women in advanced degrees. The bill, initiated by MK Limor Son Har-Melech and approved on Monday for its second and third readings, allows universities to establish gender-segregated programs subject to the Council for Higher Education's approval. The legislation aims to increase accessibility to higher education for communities that have traditionally avoided advanced studies due to religious or lifestyle reasons, enabling them to pursue academic degrees without compromising their beliefs.

Committee Chairman MK Tzvi Sukkot emphasized that the law does not impose segregation but rather expands freedom of choice, arguing that in a Jewish and democratic state, individuals should not have to forgo advanced education to maintain their way of life. He criticized opposition members for hypocrisy, noting that gender-segregated events, schools, and cultural activities already exist in Israel, and that forcing a uniform approach constitutes secular coercion and condescension.

MK Limor Son Har-Melech welcomed the bill's approval as a significant step toward correcting a longstanding injustice. She stated that the Supreme Court had imposed a radical progressive worldview that deprived thousands of men and women the opportunity to advance academically without abandoning their faith and lifestyle. According to her, the new law restores academic freedom and personal liberty, and true liberalism should respect those who choose gender-segregated studies without imposing progressive mandates.