Jerusalem – Charedi women who chose to go to separate swimming beaches in Tel Aviv and Herzliya became targets of treacherous AP photographers who decided – under the guise of “art” – to violate their modesty and privacy by capturing the women on film without their knowledge and against their will.
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Two of the news agency’s photographers, Ariel Shalit and Tara Todras-Whitehill, were hired to shoot “The Summer of the Haredi Sector in Israel,’ a project that includes hundreds of photographs and video clips showing chareidi women at separate beaches.
Today Yedioth Ahronoth made matters worse by printing a series of photos from the project, showing chareidi women in bathing suits at Herzliya’s separate-swimming beach.
The Hebrew-language daily did at least blur the women’s faces, but an organization called the Committee for the Purity of the Camp says it may sue Yedioth Ahronoth and plans to post monitors to keep lurking photographers away from the beaches.
“It is wholly unacceptable that when we send our family members to a place declared gender segregated and glatt kosher, in practice breaches of this sort are taking place,” a Committee member told Kikar HaShabbat. “It’s simply shocking that chareidi women, who take pains to uphold their modesty, are exposed to deluded longings of photographers and reporters who have been totally corrupted by western culture.
“Who gives them the right to photograph women against their will and to publish the photographs openly under the guise of art?” he demanded
VIN News edited out the faces.
Photography in any public place is legal but in such a situation it was obviously intended to be hurtful to the frum world.
Legal they could photograph everyone entering and leaving the Mikvah (from the outside, street view, where everyone is fully dressed).
The only way to fight back is to legally expose them too – things whichthe non-frum reporters, would also feel offended.
If they are not frum they certainly do all kinds of “very nice” things and a hired detective can capture it all on film and hand it over to network TV for all to see.
It is fully “legal” to publish the news reporters and photographers home address and telephone numbers, photos of their children and which school they go too.
I am sure that all the frum people who make the weekly “artistic” mass protest against the parking lot in Yerushalayim, would love to do the same in front of the homes of these reporters.photographers so we need all their personal home address and phone numbers etc, so that everyone can express their form of fully legal “art” and in fully legal protest.
It’s technically all 100% “legal”.
But “we” frum persons can let the non-frum “enjoy” their freedom on their won terms.
Give the reporters a taste of their own medicine.
Photos of their Yediot Achronot, news reporters and photographers children going to school, would also be very “art” worthy, for all to see how nice the children are and artistic going to school is and how artistic it is when these reporters/photographers children play, are.
And then there are bias against muslim swimming bathing suits, just wondering why?
This is as “artful” as the sex-themed advertisement placements on bus stops in the religious-observant neighborhoods of Yerushaliyim in the 80s. The agencies that placed the provocative images were secular firms from Tel Aviv.
The State of Israel is one big rebellion against G-d and Torah. These people know EXACTLY what they’re doing.
It is wrong to photograph people who do not wish to be photographed, particularly in a situation such as this. I am not Amish, but when I travel through their areas, I feel obligated to respect their culture. The newspaper, should indeed, show more respect for the “frum” culture.
At the same time, on this day in Elul, my anonymous predecessor (#8), should avoid such blanket statements about the State of Israel and other Jews. The Ribbono Shel Olam doesn’t need District Attorneys. HE has very good eyesight, and excellent judgement. Shana Tova to all!!
I agree that no hurtful intent was involved here. With all the really serious issues and problems in eretz yisroel, who to they think cares about these photographs. Only the haridim assume that anyone seeing normal people engage in normal recreational activity will have lustful or inappropriate thoughts. For anyone else reading the newspapers, these pictures. are one big yawn
Is it coincidence that we just learned about visual trespass in the Daf Yomi today (Bava Batra 2)?
In a certain way, this is almost worse than looking at pornography. Those who pose for the latter don’t mind being photographed that way, whereas here this is obviously an invasion of privacy that could be very hurtful to the victims. It reminds me of the case the other week where somebody photographed a reported through a keyhole which is obviously a disgusting invasion of personal privacy! In any case, if anybody goes looking for these pictures on the web, just remember you are supporting Yediot Achronot’s actions and are an accomplice to this crime. Be a mentch and stay away!
Under halacaha, there is no probibiton on having one’s picture taken by a third party if one is not doing so willingly and not posing for the photo. If these women are worried about their photos being taken at the public beach, they shold go to the private beach.
There is nothing to see anyway, they are all fully clothed.
A lot of nothing they are fully clother-per the pictures on your website. They appear at least as clothed as Chareidi women walking in midtowm Mamhattan
“VIN News edited out the faces”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m sure its not the “faces” of women that are the problem…
I think it is completely wrong of VIN to publish any of those pictures without getting permission from all those people in those pictures – whether they are recognized or not.
It is always a fine line to take pictures of people without their knowledge.
When a photographer takes “candid” pictures at a family simcha, there are always some that are offensive to one or two individuals for obvious or personal reasons.
Nobody wants a picture of themself circulating where they do not look their best, whether it is where they look overweight, their mouth is wide open, or the camera caught them in a momentary compromised position.
It’s a basic concept.
Respectful people “delete” those pictures.
People who bother going to a beach that is officially labeled “חוף נפרד” are being unambiguous about their desire for PRIVACY.
The despicable invasion of that privacy is far more than a violation of tznius.
It is a complete disregard for another adult’s right to privacy and self respect.
It leaves me wondering what the intent may really have been:
– a cheap sexual thrill from seeing the forbidden?
– a cheap power trip from getting something from someone who didn’t want to give it?
– an act of revenge from someone who feels some sort of anger toward a community who chooses to maintain this level of privacy?
– a dehumanizing art form that stems from a view of other people as objects, instead of equally valid human beings with feelings, preferences, and personal lives?
– a selfish use of innocent people to promote financial gain in a world where people will pay for photographs that were obviously obtained without permission?
The absence of a sordid personal agenda does not make one innocent.
Aizehu mechubad Hamechabed es Habrios.
May `ד forgive our trespasses during these ימי רצון, and return us to a proper appreciation and respect for each other.
So if display a picture of lettuce, tomato, pepper, strings, and Ariel Sharon, and call it “Vegetables” in the name of art, no in the Israeli establishment would have a problem with that on an artistic basis, right? I think not. One cannot be intentionally hurtful and claim protection under the artistic clause. Ask the Moslems.