Full Breakdown
Knesset Approves Expansion of Gender-Segregated Graduate Programs Amid Academic and Medical Opposition
7/16/2026, 4:16:16 AM
Core Event
On an early Thursday morning, the Knesset voted 52-43 to adopt Amendment No. 12 to the Student Rights Law, permitting Israeli higher-education institutions to offer gender-segregated master’s and doctoral degree programs. The amendment, sponsored by MK Limor Son-Har Melech of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, extends the existing framework that allows limited gender-segregated undergraduate courses. Segregation would be confined to classrooms and only to students who voluntarily enroll in the separate tracks.
Background & Context
The current policy stems from a 2021 High Court of Justice ruling that upheld the Council for Higher Education’s limited gender-segregated undergraduate programs, originally designed to integrate ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) students into higher education. The 2026 amendment removes many of the safeguards that limited segregation to specific undergraduate fields and expands it to all graduate disciplines, including medicine.
Key Figures & Groups
- Limor Son-Har Melech – MK, Otzma Yehudit, bill sponsor.
- Zvi Sukkot – Chair of the Knesset Education Committee, Religious Zionism party, defender of the bill.
- Avigdor Liberman – MK, Yisrael Beytenu, vocal opponent.
- Merav Michaeli – MK, opposition leader, critic of segregation.
- Deans of Israel’s nine medical schools – Representatives of Tel Aviv University, Technion, Bar-Ilan, Ben-Gurion, Ariel, Reichman, Haifa, and the Weizmann Institute, co-signers of a joint warning letter.
Data & Statistics
- The Knesset vote tally: 52 in favor, 43 against.
- Israel’s nine medical schools issued a collective letter warning of potential loss of international accreditation and a decline in specialist physician numbers.
Why It Matters / Impact
Proponents argue the amendment expands “freedom of choice” for religiously observant students, especially women who otherwise lack access to advanced fields. Opponents contend that institutionalizing gender segregation could:
1. Undermine mixed-gender clinical training essential for treating Israel’s diverse population.
2. Create separate funding streams that pressure universities to adopt segregation to retain state support.
3. Threaten international recognition of Israeli medical schools, limiting graduates’ ability to pursue fellowships abroad and potentially reducing the quality and quantity of specialist doctors.
Official Statements & Responses
Education Committee Chair MK Tzvi Sukkot asserted that the law “does not impose segregation on anyone – it expands freedom of choice.” Bill sponsor MK Limor Son-Har Melech framed the legislation as a means to “advance women from sectors that have not received the opportunities they deserve.” In contrast, MK Avigdor Liberman warned that the government “is trying to turn the State of Israel into a state of ayatollahs,” while MK Merav Michaeli declared, “There is no such thing as separate but equal.”
Criticism & Opposition
The deans’ letter described the bill as “a direct danger to the health of the citizens of Israel,” arguing that gender would become the determining factor in medical training rather than expertise. They cautioned that “the approval of the law will make gender the determining factor in the training of medical staff, instead of the expertise of the lecturers.” Opposition MKs, including Adi Ezuz and Naama Lazimi, labeled the measure “the most misogynistic government in Israel’s history” and a “terrible bill” that strips freedoms and rights.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The most misogynistic government in Israel's history is knowingly harming women's rights in an unprecedented manner. Blessed be the fruit.” — MK Adi Ezuz, Together Party
- “ Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman responded to the law's passage: "The government of the October 7 massacre is trying to turn the State of Israel into a state of ayatollahs.” — MK Avigdor Liberman, Yisrael Beytenu
- “Certainly not in a coalition that acts in every way against equality.” — MK Merav Michaeli
- “The approval of the law will make gender the determining factor in the training of medical staff, instead of the expertise of the lecturers.” — Dean’s Letter, Israel’s nine medical schools
- “the medical system must see a person first and foremost, regardless of gender or status.” — Dean’s Letter, Israel’s nine medical schools
- “ Son-Har Melech said, "Today, the Knesset stated clearly that genuine freedom of choice also includes the right to study separately.” — MK Limor Son-Har Melech
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on whether the amendment mandates gender-segregated classes; the bill’s text does not require segregation but allows it, while some opponents claim it will inevitably lead to mandatory separation. No quantitative data on projected enrollment impacts or funding allocations have been released.
What’s Next
The amendment now proceeds to a final Knesset plenum vote. Lawmakers have been urged to consider the deans’ warnings before the bill’s enactment, which would legally permit gender-segregated graduate tracks across Israeli universities.
