Deans of Israeli med schools warn against expanding gender segregation in higher ed

The deans of Israel’s nine medical schools on Monday issued a joint warning urging lawmakers to reject legislation that would expand gender-segregated study in advanced higher education, arguing it could undermine medical training, international accreditation, and public health.

The letter followed a similar statement issued by Israeli university heads last week.

In a call to members of the Knesset ahead of second and third readings of the proposed bill this week, the deans said mixed-gender education is essential to preparing doctors to treat Israel’s diverse population and to fostering collaborative learning.

While the legislation does not mandate gender-segregated classes, it could eventually lead to separate funding streams and pressure universities and medical schools to adopt segregation due to limited resources, the letter said.

The proposal could also jeopardize international recognition of Israeli medical schools, potentially limiting graduates’ ability to pursue fellowships at leading hospitals abroad, the letter added.

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Over time, the letter warned, such restrictions could reduce the number and quality of specialist physicians practicing in Israel, and lead to faculty appointments based on gender rather than expertise.

“In the event that a relative of yours needs surgery, would you want the best professional, or a surgeon of the ‘right’ gender?” the letter asked. It was signed by the deans of Tel Aviv University, Technion Institute of Technology, Bar Ilan University, Ben Gurion University, Ariel University, Reichman University, University of Haifa, and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

The Knesset Education Committee voted Monday to advance a bill to expand gender segregation in academia to the Knesset plenum for its final two readings.

The bill, which was expected to be voted on in the plenum later Monday but ended up not included in the day’s agenda, would allow universities and colleges to offer gender-segregated master’s and doctoral degree programs subject to approval by the Council for Higher Education.

The legislation builds on a 2021 High Court ruling that upheld the Council for Higher Education’s policy permitting limited and specific gender-segregated undergraduate programs aimed at integrating ultra-Orthodox students into higher education and, ultimately, the workforce.

The court stressed at the time that the arrangement was specifically intended for the Haredi community and imposed safeguards, including limiting segregation to classrooms in mixed institutions and prohibiting discrimination against female lecturers.

The new legislation would extend that framework to master’s and doctoral programs and be open to all students, not only the Haredi community, while a proposed amendment by Shas MK Yossi Taieb to expand segregation to additional areas of campuses was rejected.

Proponents framed the bill as increasing educational opportunities for religiously observant women, with bill sponsor MK Limor Son Har-Melech of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party arguing the legislation will “advance women from sectors that have not received the opportunities they deserve,” while committee chair MK Zvi Sukkot of the far-right Religious Zionism party said it would “expand freedom of choice.”

Opposition lawmakers and academic representatives have roundly denounced the bill, arguing that it unnecessarily expands gender segregation beyond existing arrangements; prioritizes religious rights over the rights of female students and lecturers to equality, dignity, and freedom of movement; and harms academic freedom and the quality of teaching and research.

Education Committee member and The Democrats MK Naama Lazimi condemned the “terrible bill” on Monday, saying lawmakers who oppose women serving in the Knesset or whose parties bar female candidates, including several of the committee members, “have no right to strip us of our freedoms and rights.”