Adalah v. The Knesset (Ban on Graduates of Palestinian Universities from Teaching in Schools in Israel and East Jerusalem)
Date Filed: 22 February 2026
Current Status: The Israeli Supreme Court ordered the state to submit its preliminary response by 23 April 2026.
Case Description
In this case, Adalah and several co-petitioners challenge a new Israeli law, passed on 21 January 2026, that categorically bars graduates of Palestinian higher education institutions from working as teachers in schools in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem. For Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCI) and residents of occupied East Jerusalem, these universities are often the only viable option of getting a degree, especially for teaching in Arabic, due to systemic structural barriers in Israeli universities.
The petitioners argue that the law is a tool of political exclusion rather than a legitimate pedagogical regulation. While the state invokes "securitization" to "prevent the harmful influence" of the Palestinian Authority, the petitioners argue that the law is founded on racist and inflammatory premises. By substituting objective educational criteria with a blanket disqualification based on institutional affiliation, the state penalizes educators for academic study that is linguistically and culturally accessible to them.
Beyond violating the Freedom of Occupation (Employment) and the right to equality, the law threatens the Arab education system in the Naqab (Negev) and East Jerusalem, where a significant part of the teaching workforce - primarily women - obtained degrees from Palestinian universities. In East Jerusalem, for example, 58% of the 6,700 current teachers hold degrees from Palestinian institutions. Thus, the law will create a severe impact on the education system, which is already facing a projected shortage of teachers. The petitioners argue that this restriction exacerbates a chronic shortage, directly infringing upon the right of Palestinian children to a quality education and breaching the Occupying Power’s duty under international humanitarian law to refrain from drastic changes in essential social sectors.
Petitioners:
-
Adalah
-
Palestine Ahliya University
-
The Arab American University in Palestine
-
Union of Parents' Committees in East Jerusalem
-
Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages in the Naqab
-
Member of Knesset Ahmad Tibi
-
Member of Knesset Waleed Alhwashla
-
Member of Knesset Sameer Bin Said
-
First-year education students attending Palestinian universities
Case Files
-
Petition to the Supreme Court (Hebrew) - 22 February 2026
Case Timeline
22 February 2026 | Petition filed to the Israeli Supreme Court
21 January 2026 | Law passed by the Knesset
-
Related Files: Text of the Law [Hebrew]
Case Citation: HCJ 68074-02-26 Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel et al. v. The Knesset et al.
