Jerusalem – Chairwoman of the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women MK Tzipi Hotovely described on Wednesday the growing number of incidents in which women are excluded form the public space as apartheid which contradicts basic Israeli values.
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In recent months, a spate of incidents have come to public attention in which proponents of equal rights say women have been marginalized in a variety of ways. In September during the festival of Succot, separation barriers were erected in Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood to prevent men and women mixing during the crowded and busy period of the holiday.
Religious IDF soldiers also refused to listen to women singing at an army event because of a prohibition within Jewish law of listening to women sing in person. A complaint was submitted to the broadcasting authority about the exclusion of women on the haredi radio station Kol Berama and the issue of gender-segregated buses in haredi neighborhoods has also not been resolved.
Hotovely made her comments during the first ever hearing of the Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women into the issue, initiated by MK Einat Wilf (Independence).
“The Committee…sees the exclusion of women as apartheid which contradicts the values of the state of Israel and Jewish law,” Hotovely said. “We have to fight this phenomenon of radicalization that is being expressed through the exclusion of women [in public life], because it seriously injures [the rights] of women and society as a whole.”
The committee will initiate legislation designed to deny public funds to any agencies which participate in the exclusion of women and will also closely watch further incidents of segregation and marginalisation.
“This phenomenon is a blatant infraction of equal rights carried out through the exploitation of public money which is provided by the state, Hotovely added.
The committee said that it would be requesting that Egged and the Ministry of Transport provide within three months a document detailing any occurrences in which the ruling of the Supreme Court outlawing gender-segregation on buses is infringed.
MK Orit Zuaretz (Kadima) was also present at the hearing and further proposed that Egged demand that its drivers complete a form whenever any incident of segregation occurrs. “The Supreme Court ruling was in January, how long does it take to draw up correct procedures,” she asked.
The committee will consider the issue in a number of sittings throughout the Knesset winter session, and will discuss in particular the marginalisation of women in the army, and in cities with large haredi populations such as Jerusalem and Bet Shemesh.
The hearing was also attended by Rachel Azaria, a member of the Jerusalem City Council who was fired from the council coalition and stripped of her portfolios after petitioning the High Court against the Jerusalem Municipality to enforce the removal of segregation barriers during Succot this year.
“It’s amazing that an alliance has been formed between extremists and the establishment,” Azaria said. “The haredi public realizes that it needs to be part of society, so we see military enlistment and participation in the workforce increasing in this community. But this threatens the extremists, who are burdening their communities with fabricated [laws] which are not halachic. Their goal is not to isolate women from the public sphere but to isolate the haredi community from the general community.”
she says segregation is in contradiction to the values of the state of israel. I say she is absolutely right. But on the other hand, maybe the chareidim could use their voting power to change the laws of israel, or just amend them slightly.
remove from Israel all those who believe that Women cant be an active part of scociety
Mrs tzipi: isreal is a jewish land & we need & must follow the jewish & torha laws, if you don’t like move away to india or any other reform or seculer land, we will NEVER change this holy women rules
Dear Mrs. Hotovely. If you remember, the country you serve goes around preaching (and correctly so) that it’s a JEWISH STATE. Well, guess what, Judaism has laws. If Israel would say that they are a democracy like the US that strictly separates church and state, then you would be right, but since it is a Jewish State than you gotta show something for it.
I’m not saying that everything regarding the treatment of women is done the right way, but you can’t deny that in Jewish Law there are differences between the status of Men & Women. If you don’t agree why not move to the US? Why is Israel so important to you if you couldn’t care less about Judaism?
Tolerance of gender based discrimination is contrary to notions of a free society. However, freedom of religion is also fundamental to a democratic society. To deny funding to agencies who separate men and women strictly on the basis of religious belief is anti-democratic. Such “discrimination” carries no connotation of diminished value as a human being and cannot in good conscience be included in the proposed ban.
and this picture prooves ‘mi vomi haholchin’. which yidden are for and which are against
So wrapped up in her righteous indignation she can’t seem to differentiate between separated and segregated. Or doesn’t want to, because how would she have what to be unhappy about.
Does this mean that there will be no more ladies rooms?
#8 and they were not shomer shabbos and alot of other things, so what?
#8 its beats me how people who havent the slightest idea of issues involved. did you learn the subject matter,that you came to conclusion its sickness. is anyone forcing you not to swim mixed seat mixed in shul?
I believe Miss Hotovely (she is not yet married, have a shidduch for her?) would consider herself part of the national religious zionist movement, which does have separate schools for boys and girls. This law sounds like it would not allow that, so it’s a bit confusing.
I think a shul in Meah Shearim has right to exclude tourist & non-members if the crowding will cause a lack of tznius, but it was not done intelligently or respectfully (like the recent signs in Williamsburg?)
I agree in principle with #1 , that many changes can be made through the ballot box. However, it seems that the chareidi parties are taking a back seat (no pun intended) on this issue. Is it possible that gedolim feel this is not an issue to make a brouhaha over at this time?
The Torah does not ask for the segregation of women on buses or on public streets. These are the creations of an increasingly weak rabbinic leadership fearful of their increasingly hysterical constituents.
#26 maybe you learnt Shass etc which i doubt, but your haskafah is definately tainted with your college ed. Keddushe and tumah do not mix, if yes tumeh has the upper hand as in your case.