Israeli parliament approves law allowing gender-segregated graduate programs

The Israeli parliament (Knesset) on Thursday approved a law allowing gender-segregated graduate study programs despite broad opposition from higher education institutions.

The Knesset said in a statement that the plenum passed Amendment No. 12 to the Student Rights bill in its second and third readings, making it law.

The bill was introduced by Knesset member Limor Son Har-Melech of the far-right Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

According to the Knesset, 52 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill and 43 opposed it.

The amendment allows higher education institutions to offer gender-segregated tracks for master's and doctoral programs, provided the separation in mixed institutions is limited to classrooms and applies only to students who choose it.

The explanatory notes said Israel's Council for Higher Education currently permits gender-segregated study tracks mainly for bachelor's degree programs under specific conditions.

The new law stipulates that religiously based gender-segregated study tracks for men and women do not constitute discrimination and extends that provision to graduate programs.

Israel's public broadcaster KAN said the legislation passed despite broad opposition from higher education institutions, which warned it could undermine academic standards, particularly in medicine and other health professions.

According to the broadcaster, opposition lawmakers held up signs reading "Separation is exclusion" during the Knesset session.

KAN also reported that deans of all Israeli medical schools sent a letter to lawmakers warning that the legislation could harm medical education, weaken professional training and damage the international standing of Israeli universities.

The deans also warned that gender segregation in medical training could reduce Israeli doctors' chances of securing specialization placements at leading hospitals abroad, potentially affecting the future quality and availability of medical personnel.

The law follows a controversial decision by the municipality of Bnei Brak in central Israel, acting under the guidance of city rabbis, to separate men and women on sidewalks along several main streets, according to private Channel 13.

The broadcaster said the move contradicts previous Israeli Supreme Court rulings prohibiting signs enforcing gender segregation in public spaces.