Israeli Parliament Approves Gender Segregation Expansion in Academia Amidst Widespread Opposition and Legal Challenge

The Israeli Knesset approved a controversial law expanding gender segregation in higher education on the night of Thursday, with a vote of 52 in favor and 43 against. Initiated by MK Limor Son Har-Melech, the law allows gender-segregated study tracks to be established not only in undergraduate programs but also in advanced degrees, transferring decision-making authority to academic institutions and the Council for Higher Education. The law explicitly states that gender segregation for religious reasons will not be considered discrimination, effectively overriding a previous Supreme Court ruling that prohibited segregation expansion to graduate studies.

The legislation has sparked intense backlash from student groups, women's organizations, and civil society. The Tel Aviv University Student Union declared active opposition to the law's implementation, with Chair Gal Shinoter calling the approval a "black day for the Knesset" and pledging to resist any enforcement that excludes women from public academic spaces. Women's rights leaders, including Anita Friedman of WIZO and Hagit Pe'er of Na'amat, condemned the law as a regressive step threatening gender equality and academic excellence, warning it could lead to broader segregation in public spaces.

MK Adi Azuz, who led parliamentary objections, criticized the government for deliberately harming women's rights and likened the move to practices not even found in Iran. The "Zazim" movement and the 5050 initiative also joined the opposition, highlighting the law's contradiction with university leadership, the Council for Higher Education, and prior Supreme Court decisions.

Simultaneously, a petition was filed to the Supreme Court by Haredi women, academics, and Professor Yofi Tirosh from Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Law. The petition argues that the law unlawfully expands a previously limited exception for gender segregation in undergraduate classes to graduate studies and broader campus areas, including libraries and administrative spaces. It calls for restoring the original limited framework, restricting segregation to undergraduate classes and the Haredi community, and ending the exclusion of female lecturers. Professor Tirosh emphasized that the law's true aim is to impose religious modesty rules that marginalize women across Israeli public spaces.

The legal challenge and public protests signal ongoing conflict over gender segregation in Israeli academia, with opponents vowing to continue their fight both in court and in the public arena.