Israeli Parliament Approves Gender Segregation in Advanced Academic Degrees

The Israeli Knesset passed a law expanding gender segregation in advanced academic degree programs during a vote held overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, with 52 members supporting and 43 opposing. The legislation allows academic institutions, subject to approval by the Council for Higher Education, to establish separate study tracks for men and women in advanced degrees for those who desire such arrangements.

During the parliamentary vote, opposition lawmakers protested with signs stating "Segregation is exclusion." Knesset member Adi Azuz criticized the government, calling it "the most misogynistic in Israel's history," accusing it of deliberately harming women's rights.

Before the second and third readings of the bill, deans of all Israeli medical schools issued a warning about the law's potential negative impact on medical and health professions education. They argued that the bill poses a direct threat to public health by prioritizing gender over instructor expertise in training medical teams. The deans cautioned that segregated learning would undermine the essential shared education needed to provide appropriate medical care for all populations, risking international recognition of Israeli academic institutions. They also warned that Israeli doctors might lose opportunities for specialization in leading foreign hospitals, which would severely affect the availability and quality of medical specialists in Israel. The deans urged lawmakers to vote against the bill to protect the future of medicine in Israel, invoking Maimonides' principle that medical care should focus on the individual regardless of gender or status.

The bill's sponsor, Knesset member Limor Son Har-Melech, hailed the vote 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 of the ability to pursue advanced degrees without compromising their faith and lifestyle. She emphasized that the new law restores freedom of choice in academia and respects those who wish to maintain their way of life. The Education Committee had previously approved the bill, and the Supreme Court ruled that women cannot be discriminated against in academic tracks for ultra-Orthodox students.

This legislation marks a notable development in the ongoing debate over gender segregation in Israel's higher education system, balancing religious freedoms with concerns about equality and academic standards.