Israeli Parliament Approves Law Expanding Gender Separation in Higher Education Amid Opposition Protests

The Knesset approved in early morning votes the bill proposed by MK Limor Son Har-Melech of Otzma Yehudit to expand gender separation in academic institutions. The legislation extends the option of gender-segregated study tracks beyond undergraduate degrees to include master's and doctoral programs, and allows additional populations beyond Haredim to participate in such programs. It also formally recognizes the existence of separate institutions, potentially permitting segregation in public campus spaces, not just classrooms.

During the debate, opposition members protested with signs stating "Separation is exclusion." The bill passed in second and third readings alongside an amendment to the Student Law mandating separate study tracks for men and women in advanced degrees. The opposition continued their demonstrations after the vote.

This law circumvents a Supreme Court ruling that had permitted gender-segregated undergraduate studies solely to integrate Haredim into the workforce, restricting separation to classrooms and not public areas. The bill’s expansion to graduate levels and entire institutions raises legal concerns. Legal advisors to the Education Committee, Attorney Tami Sela and Ministry of Justice representative Attorney Liat Ben Meir, warned that the provisions on public space segregation and doctoral-level separation could violate proportionality principles and face challenges in the Supreme Court.

Following committee approval, it emerged that a study by the Council for Higher Education on gender-segregated studies in therapeutic fields was withheld from Knesset members. The research found that 52% of Haredi respondents did not consider gender separation a significant factor in choosing study tracks. Education Minister and CHE chairman Yoav Kish reportedly blocked discussion of the study.

Ahead of the vote, student union leaders from Tel Aviv University, Ben-Gurion University, Bezalel Academy, and Afeka College issued a statement refusing to cooperate with the law’s implementation. Opposition MKs, including Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu), Adi Azuz (Yesh Atid), and Merav Michaeli (Democratic Camp), condemned the law as discriminatory and harmful to women’s rights, with Michaeli stating the coalition believes religious Jewish men are superior to others.