Hundreds board segregated bus lines to protest ultra-Orthodox exclusion of women
Men and women launch demonstration against segregated bus lines and against exclusion of women from public sphere.
By Ophir Bar-Zohar and Oz Rosenberg Tags: Jewish World Orthodox Jews Israel protestHundreds of men and women boarded gender-segregated buses in Jerusalem and Ramat Gan on Sunday, in protest of the exclusion of women from the public sphere and against the segregation of men and women in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods.
Despite the friction between the two communities, the protest on board the buses went over relatively quietly.
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A secular activist riding a special bus line for ultra-Orthodox passengers in Jerusalem Sunday Jan. 1, 2011. |
| Photo by: Emil Salman |
The organizers of the demonstration requested that the protesters gather in central points in Jerusalem and Ramat Gan so they would not be drawn into provocations.
Throughout the evening, there were two incidents in which bus drivers refused to allow the activists to board the buses. In line 354 from Ramar Gan to Be’er Yaakov, the problem was only solved after police intervention, and on line 402 from Ramat Gan to Jerusalem, the bus driver threatened the activists and journalists that he would break their cameras.
On Ben-Gurion street in Ramat Gan, several ultra-Orthodox men flung insults at police officers, saying that “the country helps protesters in their struggle.”
An ultra-Orthodox passenger on one of the buses in Bnei Brak said, “We suffer from exclusion more than secular people, but once the media creates a fight between secular people and Haredim, then we have no choice – we have to pick a side.”
“Extremists from both sides do not allow a discussion to take place on this subject,” he said, blaming the media and ultra-Orthodox extremists of anti-Semitism.
The event, which was created by Jerusalem resident Alon Visser called on people to put an end to the apathy and changing the status quo. Visser said that he has gotten used to seeing gender-segregated buses run through Jerusalem’s central bus station.
“This is not the society that I want to live or raise my children in,” Visser wrote on the event’s Facebook page. “We cannot continue to be silent on the issue of gender segregation on bus lines – it is against the law and against human rights.”
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Ultra-Orthodox men riding a sex-segregated bus in Jerusalem. |
| Photo by: Emil Salman |
According to Visser, the event was not meant to protest against or hurt the religious Haredi community, but rather “to eradicate the ugly phenomenon of the exclusion of women.”
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You did the right thing. Seculars respect Haredim. As far can be seen haredim do not respect Seculars. They have to learn much about democracy and know they are no living in a Schtatl any more
A democratic society with a fundamental commitment to justice and human rights cannot bow down to the idolatry of fascist fake piety.
So we have a few women who won't respect the idea of men at the front women at the back (even thou most women who sit at the back feel respected) and then when we want our own busline they complain again. What is the rubbish. If we want our own busline we will have our own busline.
Unless Israelis start to reign in the Jewish Taliban (Jaliban), Israel will just become a Jewish version of Iran. A democracy in name only, where a Theocracy can over ride the voters at will.
It's time we get our own bus line. In fact i read a article where some women were also against that idea as well. It seems there are some women out there that have gone too far. Go on any bus and ask, you will see most women who sit at the back feel respected, and are more then happy to be there, yet you have the very few secular women who think it's oppression. Such women are misguided. Like I said It's time for our own bus line we have religious beliefs and if some don't want respect them then it's time to move, because honestly the level of maturity by a few women is shocking and I want nothing to do with it.
If we want our own bus line will get our own bus line. Let them complain, we have had enough of their nonsense.
Get your own ride. On a public transportation system you you have no right to tell ANYONE where to sit. The problem is that most ultra-conservatives don't work, live off the state, and have no money for their own ride. So, if that's the case, start walking!
but subsidized by the state.
......ultra-orthodox men are generally loud, rude and have bad body odor. Segregated riders might even pay a premium to not have to share the same space with this anachronistic breed.
If you want to resolve this issue, get the ordinary Haredim on your side. If you want to pick a fight, you're all doing a great job. Keep up the great work.