The committee approved the bill for its second and third readings, overriding a High Court ruling that had prohibited gender segregation in master's and doctoral programs. The legislation, sponsored by MK Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit), will now proceed to the Knesset plenum for final votes. Son Har-Melech said the bill restores choice and ends 'progressive coercion' in academia.
On Monday, the Knesset Education Committee approved the bill to allow gender-segregated studies in advanced degrees for its second and third readings, overriding a High Court ruling that had prohibited such segregation. The vote, which advances the legislation to the Knesset plenum for final approval, came a day after the committee had been scheduled to vote and amid warnings from university heads. MK Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit), the bill's sponsor, said it restores choice and ends 'progressive coercion' in academia.
As The Zioneer reported on Sunday, Jul 5, at 15:37 Jerusalem, the committee was voting that day on the second and third readings of the bill. Earlier that Sunday, the Knesset had scheduled final votes on the bill for Monday, according to the same thread. The Committee of University Heads had sent an urgent letter to the Knesset Sunday, warning that the bill would create 'second-rate degrees' for women and impose an enormous budgetary burden, as reported by Channel 12. The warning was reiterated in multiple reports throughout the day.
The bill has been under debate for weeks. As The Zioneer reported on June 29, the Knesset Education Committee discussed the bill, and Tel Aviv University law professor Yofi Tirosh said it would 'build ghettos, not bridges.' On July 1, the committee began voting on the bill. The coalition has been advancing the legislation as part of a broader push, as The Zioneer reported on June 30, alongside other contentious bills. The bill's approval in committee clears the way for the plenum, but the exact timing of the final votes—previously scheduled for Monday—remains to be set, and opposition from academic heads and lawmakers continues.
4 developments
- DevelopingKnesset Education Committee begins voting on academic gender segregation bill
- DevelopingMK Naama Lazimi removed from Knesset committee discussion on academic gender segregation bill
- StrongNaamat chair urges boycotting universities that enforce gender segregation law
- DevelopingKnesset advances bill extending statute of limitations for sex offenses
Source and signal
- Internal intake