The Knesset plenum approved the gender segregation bill in its third reading early Thursday, expanding the law to allow separate public spaces on campuses, including libraries, cafeterias, and labs. The vote was 52-43, according to Israeli media reports. The bill was previously passed in its second reading and is part of a coalition deal linking it to IDF service extension, as The Zioneer has reported.
The Knesset early Thursday approved the gender segregation bill in its third and final reading, with a vote of 52-43, according to Israeli media. The Zioneer first reported the outcome at 01:45 Jerusalem, citing N12's Daphna Liel. The law permits gender-separate study tracks in advanced-degree programs and extends segregation to public campus spaces, including libraries, cafeterias, and laboratories. The approval followed a rapid legislative push: the bill had passed its preliminary reading earlier that morning at 02:29 Jerusalem, as The Zioneer reported, and the Education Committee had approved it for final readings on July 6.
Prior to the final vote, the bill progressed through several stages. The Education Committee approved the bill for second and third readings on July 6, after debates that began in late June. The Zioneer reported on July 15 that the legislation was part of a coalition deal linking it to an extension of mandatory IDF service by two months. The thread of The Zioneer's coverage from Thursday morning shows the evolution: an initial report at 01:45 Jerusalem noted the bill's passage and the source (N12's Daphna Liel); a subsequent update emphasized the voluntary nature of the segregation and named the sponsor, MK Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit); a third version added details of opposition lawmakers protesting by raising signs after the vote.
The legislation has drawn broad opposition. The deans of Israel's medical schools warned on July 13 that the bill endangers public health, as The Zioneer reported. On Thursday at 08:21 Jerusalem, ten faculty members and six Haredi women petitioned the High Court of Justice against the law, according to N12 and The Zioneer. The petition was filed hours after the Knesset vote.
The law now faces legal challenges. Its implementation, particularly the scope of segregation in public campus spaces, will be subject to court review and administrative guidelines. The impact on academic freedom and gender equality remains contested.
4 developments
- DevelopingOpposition MKs demand Sunday vote be blocked over procedural failures
- DevelopingOpposition lawmakers ejected from Knesset committee on media bill
- DevelopingKnesset Education Committee begins voting on academic gender segregation bill
- StrongCoalition advances bill despite Haredi boycott, Knesset floor erupts in ugly confrontation
Source and signal
- Internal intake