The Knesset Education Committee on Monday passed the second reading of a bill intended to channel NIS 1.8 billion to the nation’s higher education over a five-year period. The bill will now be presented for its first reading in Knesset.

Meretz MK Chaim Oron, who authored the bill, as well as the many supporters, are hopeful it will be voted into law in time for the start of the fall 2008 academic year.

The nation’s universities are calling on the government to return the NIS 1.8 billion which was cut from the higher education budget over the past six years, threatening a failure to do so would jeopardize the new academic year.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)