Draft June 13, 2026
Law Name: The Law for Reforming the "Fair Representation" Model in the CHE System: Transition from a Demographic Approach to a Service-Based and Geography-Based Approach in the Field of Higher Education Support.
Legal definition: The CHE (Council for Higher Education) and the State of Israel fund programs to expand accessibility to higher education. The support is intended for groups whose statistical rate of participation in academia is lower: *. Arab citizens *. Haredim (Ultra-Orthodox) *. Peripheral areas *. New immigrants Key tools: *. Preparatory programs (Mechinot) *. Scholarships *. Academic mentoring *. Budgetary incentives for academic institutions
✍️ Submitted by: igal gutnik
🤝 1 supporters
📖 Background
System logic: To strengthen weaker population strata through financial support compared to more established population strata.
Why change:
*. Different starting conditions among different groups in the population:
*. Jewish citizens mostly undergo compulsory military service
*. Arab citizens do not serve in the army (or in alternative frameworks)
The higher education support system does not take into account:
*. Contribution to the state through service
*. Regional differences
*. Differences in educational tracks (in Israel / abroad)
📝 Goal of the reform: (Trajectory approach): Transitioning from a model of "representation of population groups" to a model of "support based on contribution and trajectory."
Key criteria for support:
*.Military service or alternative national service
*.Civilian service / volunteering for the country
*.Academic preparation and educational trajectory
*.Periphery principle
How this can look in practice:
*.Expanding benefits and budgetary programs for:
1.Discharged soldiers
2.Alternative national service participants
3.Periphery residents
Linking CHE (Council for Higher Education) scholarships to:
1.Service to the country
2.Participation in national programs
Uniformity in admission criteria:
1.Uniform academic requirements for the entire population
2.Differential compensation mechanisms according to trajectory
✅ For (4)
- + Encourages participation in national service (army / alternative service)
- + De-emphasizes ethnic affiliation
- + Reinforces the principle of "contribution to society"
- + May reduce political tensions around quotas and representation
⚠️ Against (4)
- − Risk of undermining equal opportunities for groups that do not serve in the military
- − Possibility of exacerbating social inequality
- − Complication of the criteria system (more bureaucracy)
- − Controversy over the link between education and military service