Israel's acting prime minister has put higher tuition fees back on to the political agenda as the country prepares for a general election.
Finance minister Ehud Olmert argued that increased fees would raise "tuition from rich students to create funds to pay for poor students...
it's only fair that fees be set in accordance with economic background.
Students lacking financial capability will pay less, whereas those from better financial backgrounds will pay more. The goal is to create equal opportunity for people who don't have the economic possibilities for higher education."
But Assaf Segev, chairman of the National Student Union, pledged that students would "start a struggle and do anything they can to prevent the increase in tuition, including going on strike".