The Knesset approved an amendment to the Student Rights Law on Thursday morning in a 52-43 vote, permitting higher education institutions to offer gender-segregated graduate degree programs. The legislation, known as Amendment No. 12, 2026, allows for separate study programs for master’s and doctoral degrees based on religious beliefs.
Scope of Amendment No. 12, 2026
Sponsored by MK Limor Son-Har Melech of Otzma Yehudit, the new law expands the ability of academic institutions to operate segregated programs. According to the proposal’s explanatory notes, the Council for Higher Education previously allowed such programs generally only for bachelor’s degrees under specific restrictions.
The amendment clarifies that providing separate programs for men and women for religious reasons will not be legally considered discrimination when applied to advanced degrees. At institutions that maintain mixed-gender studies, the law limits segregation to classrooms and only for students who choose to enroll in these specific programs.
Legislative Intent and Political Conflict
MK Limor Son-Har Melech stated the law protects the right to study separately, arguing that a “single worldview” had previously prevented thousands of students from pursuing academia without abandoning their way of life. She described the move as an expansion of freedom and diversity that respects the “human mosaic of Israeli society.”
Opposition lawmakers protested the vote in the plenum with signs reading “Segregation is exclusion.” MK Adi Ezuz of the Together Party characterized the government as the “most misogynistic” in Israel’s history, claiming it is “knowingly harming women’s rights in an unprecedented manner.”
MK Merav Michaeli argued that “separate but equal” does not exist, asserting the coalition believes religious Jewish men are valued more than women and men in other fields.
Impact on Academic Institutions and Public Space
Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman linked the legislation to existing gender segregation on public sidewalks in Bnei Brak, claiming the government is attempting to turn Israel into a “state of ayatollahs.” Liberman explicitly called on the heads of universities and academic institutions to refuse cooperation with the law.
Potential Implementation and Institutional Response
Because the law permits but does not mandate segregation, the actual rollout may depend on whether individual universities choose to establish these programs. Institutions that currently offer mixed-gender studies could potentially implement classroom-only segregation if they decide to offer the optional tracks. A possible next step involves academic leadership deciding whether to adopt the framework provided by Amendment No. 12, 2026.
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