Israeli Parliament Advances Bill Allowing Gender-Segregated Graduate Studies

The Knesset's Education, Culture and Sports Committee approved a bill on Monday permitting higher education institutions in Israel to offer separate study tracks for men and women in advanced degrees, subject to approval by the Council for Higher Education. The legislation, initiated by MK Limor Son Har-Melech of Otzma Yehudit, aims to accommodate the religious and Haredi communities by allowing them to pursue graduate education without compromising their lifestyle and beliefs. This change could notably impact Haredi seminaries for women, enabling them to establish separate master's degree programs, a possibility previously restricted due to regulations against gender segregation in advanced studies.

Committee chairman MK Tzvi Sukkot emphasized that the law does not impose segregation but rather expands freedom of choice for those who desire it. He criticized opposition claims as misleading, stating the bill "does not force segregation on anyone." In contrast, MK Sukkot sharply criticized resistance to the proposal, describing it as secular coercion and fundamentalist religious imposition over Israel.

MK Limor Son Har-Melech called the bill a "correction of a longstanding injustice," arguing that the Supreme Court had previously enforced a radical progressive worldview that deprived thousands of men and women the opportunity to pursue advanced degrees without abandoning their faith and lifestyle. She added that the law restores freedom of choice in academia and respects pluralism by honoring those who choose gender-segregated study paths. Following committee approval for second and third readings, the bill is expected to proceed soon to a final vote in the Knesset plenum.