In a heated debate last Wednesday, the Knesset’s Education, Culture, and Sports Committee, chaired by MK Yosef Taieb (Shas), voted to approve the Students’ Rights Bill (Amendment—Separate Study Tracks), 2024, for its first reading. The bill, sponsored by MK Limor Sonn Har Melech (Otzma Yehudit), passed with eight votes in favor and four opposed.
The proposed legislation would allow higher education institutions to establish separate study tracks for advanced degrees based on gender, for religious reasons. However, the separation would only apply within classrooms and not in public spaces.
MK Taieb emphasized that the bill aims to provide options for all segments of Israeli society to access advanced education and earn a decent living. He stressed that the academic standards in these separate tracks must remain on par with regular programs.
MK Sonn Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit) argued that the legislation would promote employment equality for both men and women, asserting that those who prefer gender-separated environments, for religious or personal reasons, should have the option. She also criticized opponents of the bill, claiming they were attempting to create a “glass ceiling” for women. Regarding the educational capabilities of ultra-Orthodox men, she praised their superior academic performance compared to the general population.
MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash-Ta’al) voiced his opposition to the bill, advocating for the enrichment of diverse, heterogeneous learning environments, drawing from his own experience attending a Christian school as a Muslim.
MKs Simon Davidson (Yesh Atid) and Merav Ben Ari (Yesh Atid) strongly opposed the bill, concerned it could force academic institutions to implement separate tracks. In response, MK Taieb agreed to amend the bill’s language to clarify that the creation of separate programs would not be mandatory.
Avigail Wenkart from the Finance Ministry’s Budget Department noted that the proposal would not incur additional costs, as funding is based on student enrollment numbers.
The Supreme Court had previously approved the Council for Higher Education’s guidelines for integrating the ultra-Orthodox population into academia, including gender-separated undergraduate programs. This new proposal seeks to extend such separation to graduate programs.
Dr. Nitzan Faibish from the Knesset Research and Information Center presented international examples of gender-separated academic programs, noting they are generally found in private institutions.
Women’s advocacy groups, including the Israeli Women Professors Forum and ultra-Orthodox women, voiced strong opposition, arguing that the bill would harm academia and potentially force ultra-Orthodox women into separate tracks even if they wish to study in regular programs. However, some ultra-Orthodox female students expressed support for the proposal.
