16 Israelis Petition High Court to Void Gender-Segregated Degree Law as Knesset Expands It
Updated
Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Jul 16
16 Israelis Petition High Court to Void Gender-Segregated Degree Law as Knesset Expands It
3 articles · Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Jul 16
Summary
Six haredi women and 10 academics asked Israel’s High Court on Thursday to strike down or narrowly read a law passed hours earlier that lets the Council for Higher Education approve separate programs through bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels.
The petition says the amendment removes the safeguards that led the court in 2021 to uphold limited segregation only for haredi bachelor’s students, inside classrooms, while barring the exclusion of women lecturers.
CHE records cited in the filing describe alleged breaches already spreading into corridors, libraries and administrative services, and quote a 2024 discussion saying no institution had a woman teaching haredi men in a mandatory in-person course.
The Council for Higher Education said its policy requires access for male and female lecturers in every framework, is enforced through reporting and complaints channels, and that women now teach in men’s programs at an overwhelming majority of institutions.
Petitioners argue the law also drops an equality clause and broadens segregation beyond haredim to programs run for “religious reasons,” risking separate-and-unequal tracks and stronger social pressure on women to choose them.
Will Israel's 'separate but equal' university programs for men and women truly be equal, or just separate?
What does the battle over campus segregation reveal about the future character of the Israeli state?
Israel’s 2026 Gender Segregation Law: Expansion in Higher Education, Legal Challenges, and Societal Backlash
Overview
In July 2026, just before dissolving for national elections, the Israeli Knesset passed a new law expanding gender segregation in higher education, allowing separate study tracks for advanced degrees. This move was part of a political deal: ultra-Orthodox parties supported the coalition’s legislative agenda after securing their own priorities. The law sparked strong criticism for challenging Israel’s Students’ Rights Law, which bans discrimination based on sex. Critics argue it threatens gender equality and academic freedom, while supporters see it as accommodating religious needs. The law’s approval has led to legal challenges and deepened divisions ahead of the upcoming elections.