TEL AVIV — As the Knesset prepares to consider passing legislation permitting gender-segregated academic programs in Israel advances through the Knesset, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), today expressed deep concern.

Kalela Lancaster, Israel director at National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) — a leading Jewish feminist civil rights organization, representing 250,000 changemakers across the United States and Israel — released the following statement:

“Legislation to segregate academic programs at Israeli universities is being presented as a way to expand access to higher education, yet we know it will do precisely the opposite. In reality, it risks embedding gender discrimination into Israel’s institutions and rolling back decades of progress toward equality.

“True inclusion can never entail discrimination. Higher education should expand opportunity without creating separate standards for women and men — or limiting who can teach, lead, and participate fully in academic life. Policies that institutionalize gender segregation inevitably create new barriers for women and weaken the principle of equal opportunity which is at the heart of liberal democracy.

“On the very day this legislation passed its first reading in the Knesset, I was at Tel Aviv University (TAU) celebrating students receiving scholarships to turn gender studies research into real-world action that strengthens Israeli society. As partners of TAU’s NCJW Women and Gender Studies Program and the newly formed cross-departmental initiative Gender@TAU, that is the future we’ve chosen to invest in. Legislation that institutionalizes gender segregation moves Israel in the opposite direction.”

“NCJW works every day alongside Israeli universities, civil society organizations, and feminist advocates advancing gender equity. We know this bill represents a dangerous precedent that could normalize gender segregation well beyond university campuses and further erode women’s equal participation in public life. We are proud to join the broad coalition of Israeli organizations opposing this legislation. Together, we will continue organizing and advocating for an Israel that celebrates equality over separation, and ensures every person can fully participate in academic and public life.”

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National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a 133-year-old Jewish feminist civil rights organization working for equity and justice for women, children, and families in the United States and Israel. Through the efforts of our 250,000 grassroots advocates and 45 local sections, NCJW combines education, direct service, and advocacy to effect lasting social change at the local, state, and national levels. We approach our work through the intersections of gender, economic, and racial justice to center those most impacted in a uniquely Jewish way. Learn more at NCJW.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.