Legislation10/13/2026

Kisch Moves to Make Appointments to the Council for Higher Education Before the Elections

Education Minister Yoav Kisch is attempting to appoint new members to the Council for Higher Education two weeks before the Knesset elections. According to a report in Haaretz, this runs counter to the attorney general’s guidelines restricting significant appointments to public bodies during an election period.

Key facts

•Initiator: Education Minister Yoav Kisch
•Publication date: October 13, 2026
•Two weeks remain until the Knesset elections
•Five members resigned from the council in July
•The Association of University Heads opposes the appointments
•No legal proceedings were specified in the source

Why the Council Cannot Operate Fully

In July, five members of the Council for Higher Education resigned. In doing so, they protested the Knesset’s passage of the law on gender segregation. Because of its incomplete composition, the council’s work is paralyzed, and it cannot make significant decisions.

What the Legal Dispute Is

Despite the need to fill the vacancies, the proximity of the elections limits the possibility of making new and significant appointments to public bodies. According to the source, Kisch’s initiative runs counter to the attorney general’s current guidelines. The candidates’ names and the specific appointment process are not stated in the article.

The Universities’ Position

The Association of University Heads announced that it intends to fight the appointments. It described the minister’s actions as an attempt to rush through personnel decisions before the elections. The source does not say whether the appointments have already been approved or whether legal proceedings have been initiated.

What this means for you

The dispute concerns how the higher education system is managed: as long as the council operates with an incomplete membership, it cannot make significant decisions. If the appointments are blocked, this situation may continue; if they are made, the universities intend to challenge the move. The final outcome is not stated in the source.

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