February 27, 2026
Middle East Monitor
A view of Birzeit University campus in West Bank. [Wikipedia]
The Israeli Knesset has passed new legislation prohibiting the employment of graduates from Palestinian Authority-affiliated universities in teaching, administrative and educational supervision roles, a move critics describe as discriminatory and politically motivated.
The law targets Palestinian citizens of Israel and bars any academic who obtained a degree — or even completed a single academic year — at universities in the occupied West Bank from working within Israel’s education sector.
In response, the Adalah Legal Center, in cooperation with Arab members of the Knesset, has filed a petition before the Israeli Supreme Court seeking to overturn the legislation. The petition argues that the measure deprives thousands of graduates of their right to employment and professional integration on the basis of where they studied.
Petitioners contend that the law constitutes a clear violation of the right to education and freedom of academic choice, warning that it imposes collective restrictions without individual assessment.
READ: 1,200 former Israeli officials urge Knesset to reject death penalty bill
Supporters of the legislation claim that students educated at Palestinian institutions are exposed to ideologies hostile to Israeli authorities. However, human rights organisations have rejected these assertions, stating that no factual or security evidence has been presented to justify such sweeping exclusions.
During parliamentary deliberations, both the Israeli government’s legal adviser and the Knesset’s legal adviser reportedly warned that the law lacked an evidentiary basis and risked infringing fundamental rights.
Education experts have also warned of significant practical consequences. Official data indicates that approximately 60 per cent of teachers in occupied East Jerusalem schools graduated from West Bank universities, while up to 30 per cent of teaching staff in the Negev region rely on similar qualifications. Critics say the ban could therefore create serious staffing shortages in Arab schools.
Members of the Arab community in Israel already face longstanding structural inequalities in education and employment, activists say, with limited access to Hebrew-language universities prompting thousands of students each year to pursue higher education in Palestinian institutions.
A view of Birzeit University campus in West Bank. [Wikipedia]
The Israeli Knesset has passed new legislation prohibiting the employment of graduates from Palestinian Authority-affiliated universities in teaching, administrative and educational supervision roles, a move critics describe as discriminatory and politically motivated.
The law targets Palestinian citizens of Israel and bars any academic who obtained a degree — or even completed a single academic year — at universities in the occupied West Bank from working within Israel’s education sector.
In response, the Adalah Legal Center, in cooperation with Arab members of the Knesset, has filed a petition before the Israeli Supreme Court seeking to overturn the legislation. The petition argues that the measure deprives thousands of graduates of their right to employment and professional integration on the basis of where they studied.
Petitioners contend that the law constitutes a clear violation of the right to education and freedom of academic choice, warning that it imposes collective restrictions without individual assessment.
READ: 1,200 former Israeli officials urge Knesset to reject death penalty bill
Supporters of the legislation claim that students educated at Palestinian institutions are exposed to ideologies hostile to Israeli authorities. However, human rights organisations have rejected these assertions, stating that no factual or security evidence has been presented to justify such sweeping exclusions.
During parliamentary deliberations, both the Israeli government’s legal adviser and the Knesset’s legal adviser reportedly warned that the law lacked an evidentiary basis and risked infringing fundamental rights.
Education experts have also warned of significant practical consequences. Official data indicates that approximately 60 per cent of teachers in occupied East Jerusalem schools graduated from West Bank universities, while up to 30 per cent of teaching staff in the Negev region rely on similar qualifications. Critics say the ban could therefore create serious staffing shortages in Arab schools.
Members of the Arab community in Israel already face longstanding structural inequalities in education and employment, activists say, with limited access to Hebrew-language universities prompting thousands of students each year to pursue higher education in Palestinian institutions.
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