Ben-Gurion University President Criticizes Education Minister Kisch Over Gender Separation Law in Academia

Danny Hakhamovich, president of Ben-Gurion University, sharply criticized Education Minister Yoav Kisch regarding the recently passed law permitting gender-segregated academic tracks in higher education institutions. In a post on social media platform X, Hakhamovich accused Kisch of conflating independence with loyalty, stating that Kisch labels those who agree with him as "independent" and those who disagree as "political." Hakhamovich emphasized that true independence in a healthy public system means having the ability to oppose the minister when professional judgment requires it.

Earlier in the week, five members of the Council for Higher Education resigned in protest against the law, which expands the possibility of gender separation in academic settings. One of the senior resigning members, Moshe Wigdor, sent a letter to President Isaac Herzog and Minister Kisch warning that the law threatens to cause irreversible changes to Israel's academic system.

The Knesset approved the amendment to the Student Rights Law in its second and third readings earlier this month, with 52 votes in favor and 43 against. The law grants academic institutions and the Council for Higher Education the authority to establish separate study tracks for men and women in advanced degrees. According to the law, gender-segregated tracks for religious reasons will not be considered discriminatory. In mixed-gender institutions, separation will be allowed only within classrooms and only for students who request it due to their religious beliefs.