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Last update - 22:59 22/01/2008 High Court suggests compromise on buses segregating men, women By Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz Correspondent, and Reuters Tags: ultra-Orthodox  The High Court of Justice on Tuesday told the Transportation Ministry to look into problems on bus routes in Orthodox areas that separate men and women, following the petition of the religious author Naomi Ragen and the Religious Action Center. A number of female passengers said they were humiliated and even attacked for not using seats reserved for women at the back of some publicly-funded buses, or because of their clothing. Justices Elyakim Rubinstein, Salim Joubran and Yoram Danziger stopped short of ordering bus companies to stop the "mehadrin" lines but asked the Transportation Ministry to form a committee within 30 days to study the problems and recommend changes. Advertisement "We think the transportation minister [Shaul Mofaz] should create such a forum as soon as possible to allow him to hear from the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) public and from the petitioners and their supporters," the court said. The row over Israel's buses underscores the schism between its ultra-Orthodox minority - who believe women should wear long skirts and stay away from men in public - and those who want to keep the country, and its public transport, secular. The controversy started several years ago when, in order to compete with private firms, Israel's publicly-funded bus companies introduced separate seating on some routes through Orthodox areas. Women who board these buses sit at the back. In theory, wearing a long skirt and sitting in the women's section is voluntary, but several secular women have reported being abused, verbally and physically, for not doing so. Anat Hoffman, head of the Religious Action Center, the advocacy arm of the Reform Judaism movement which helped bring the lawsuit, said she was glad the high court saw the need to address problems created by the policy. "We welcome the idea to create a forum that will seriously examine the issue and examine real ways to address the needs of a diverse public without hurting the right of privacy," Hoffman said. More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   Dear Mr. Olmert An American yeshiva student asks Olmert to heed secular Israelis on J'lem's fate. Work stoppage Olmert totally freezes new building in all West Bank settlements.   1.   Jewish state more like Saudi Arabia..! 22:09  |  Rami 22/01/08   2.   Next Israeli woman will demand the right to vote 22:16  |  Wendy 22/01/08   3.   High Court a disgrace 23:49  |  Ben 22/01/08   4.   its called passing the buck ! 23:54  |  v hardman 22/01/08   5.   Welcome to Saudia Israel 00:02  |  Mark Lincoln 23/01/08   6.   seperate buses for women and men 00:27  |  chaim 23/01/08   7.   nowhere in the Torah is a bus schedule... 00:39  |  jewish doctor 23/01/08   8.   If caught, kick these men off the busses and let them walk. 01:13  |  fed-up 23/01/08   9.   We need a Jewish Rosa Parks! 01:15  |  Lisa 23/01/08   10.   MEN to the BACK 02:09  |  judith 23/01/08   11.   Segregated grocery lines in Maylasia - Is this Israel`s future? 04:31  |  Raymond from DC 23/01/08   12.   TO LISA #9 07:28  |  Steve Beikirch 23/01/08   13.   1-11 08:41  |  iletzter 23/01/08   14.   Paying for Higher Standards 08:52  |  Joe 23/01/08   15.   #10 MEN to the back of the bus or, MEN OFF THE BUS 13:42  |  Petra 23/01/08   16.   WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? 14:30  |  Ernest Graefenberg 23/01/08   17.   The USA had the solution 19:01  |  Ethan 23/01/08   18.   Ladies to the front 09:49  |  Susan 24/01/08   19.   Supply and Demand 11:38  |  Joseph 24/01/08   20.   Common sense? 11:41  |  Sherlock Holmes 24/01/08   21.   talk a step back 14:49  |  eli parosh 24/01/08   22.   Democracy only for Neo Nonharedim 01:28  |  Yechiel 25/01/08   23.   Neo Nonharedim will stop at nothing to "kill" God 01:31  |  Shlomo 25/01/08   24.   Why the Neo Nonharedim are in trouble 01:34  |  Elija 25/01/08   25.   Last Gasp of the Neo Nonharedim 01:36  |  Simcha 25/01/08   26.   HAREDIM ARE COMPLETLY HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 01:38  |  Eli 25/01/08   27.   Neo Nonharedim at it again 02:14  |  Yechiel 25/01/08   28.   Neo Nonharedim are completly against yiddishkiet 02:15  |  Elmo Cohen 25/01/08   29.   Why are the Neo Nonharedim so KGB like? 02:16  |  "Bud" Smith 25/01/08   30.   These Neo Nonharedim folks sure are not kind to citizens 02:17  |  Dr. Michael Freedman 25/01/08   31.   Israel`s own Bolsheviks: Neo Nonharedim 02:20  |  Thomas Dryden 25/01/08   32.   Neo Nonharedim intimidation 02:24  |  Joel Addison 25/01/08   33.   There has to be tolerance for religous minorities 02:25  |  Rabbi Moshe Weiss 25/01/08   34.   I am in sympathy with the Haredim 02:28  |  Mary Bishop 25/01/08   35.   The Haredim are Tzaddiks 02:31  |  Bernard Meyers 25/01/08   36.   Oops! I thought I WAS happy... 05:48  |  Sharon 25/01/08   37.   Sharon: Aren`t you supposed to be in church now? 18:30  |  Yechiel 25/01/08

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