On Wednesday, the Knesset Plenum approved the Students’ Rights Bill (Amendment No. 10) (Prohibition on Incitement to Terror and Illegal Activity in the Framework of Organized Public Activity of Students), 2025, in its first reading. The bill, sponsored by MK Limor Son Har Melech (Otzma Yehudit), received 25 votes in favor and 8 against. It will now be sent back to the Education, Culture, and Sports Committee for further discussion.
The proposed amendment seeks to revise the Students’ Rights Law by requiring institutions, as defined by the law, to include provisions in their statutes regarding organized public activities on their premises. These provisions would prohibit activities that are illegal, including expressing support for terrorist organizations and incitement to terrorism. Additionally, any violation of these guidelines would be considered a disciplinary offense.
The explanatory notes accompanying the bill highlight its objective to ensure academic institutions regulate the organized public activities of students, including student groups, and implement measures to prevent illegal activities, particularly those related to terrorist organization identification or incitement.
The notes further emphasize that this measure is necessary “especially in light of the sensitivity and complexity of the public and political discourse in society, particularly within the academic sphere, following the events of October 7, 2023, and the Swords of Iron War.”
