Thousands of Israelis protest gender segregation in Beit Shemesh
Rally was originally slated to take place in the courtyard of a girl's school, but the location was changed after Haredi extremists threatened organizers with violence.
By Oz Rosenberg, Barak Ravid and Talila NesherThousands of Israelis amassed near the Orot girl's school in Beit Shemesh on Tuesday to protest gender segregation in a city that has become a symbol for the struggle against religious extremism.
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A rally protesting women's exclusion in Beit Shemesh, Dec. 27, 2011. |
| Photo by: Michal Fattal |
The rally was originally slated to take place in the courtyard of the school, but the venue was changed after organizers said Haredi extremists had threatened violence unless the location was changed.
Police forces spread throughtout the city, including Border Police, detectives, and a helicopter that hovered above the crowd. Both MK Miri Regev (Likud) and Amir Peretz (Labor) were among the thousands to attend the rally.
The school's arguably most-famous student is Na'ama Margolese, the 8-year-old American immigrant who became a focal point after Channel 2 news broadcast a story Friday night showing her facing a daily gauntlet of abuse from Haredi extremists as she walks to school. Margolese did not attend the rally.
On Monday, violent incidents continued in Beit Shemesh, Haredim clashed with police officers and attacked two television news crews. At least six people were arrested or detained for questioning.
The violent scenes in Beit Shemesh on Sunday, when a Channel 2 news team was attacked by 200 Haredi men, were repeated on Monday.
On Monday morning, dozens of ultra-Orthodox men surrounded police officers and municipal inspectors who came to remove, for at least the third time this week, a sign on Hazon Ish Street, in the Haredi neighborhood Nahala Vemenuha, ordering men and women touse separate sidewalks. The men tried to prevent the sign's removal, calling the police officers "Nazis" and dancing around them in circles.
A few hours later a crew from Channel 10 was attacked as it tried to film a piece on education in the city. Police officers dispatched to the scene after the news team called for help clashed with dozens of Haredim. Some of them lay on the ground in an attempt to keep other members of the group from being arrested. Three people were taken into custody.
About an hour later, a second television crew was attacked as it filmed the controversial sign. The Channel 2 camera crew was pelted with eggs, and a videographer was physically assaulted. Police officers sealed off the street and found themselves facing around 300 Haredim who shouted at them to leave, threw rocks at them and set dumpsters on fire. Officers detained three suspects for questioning.
Earlier Tuesday, Beit Shemesh Mayor Moshe Abutbul held a press conference at city hall, where he rebuffed calls to step down.
“I will continue to serve, as long as the public wants me here”, Abutbul said.
Abutbul also lent his support to the struggle against religious extremism in the city, stating that he will “act decisively against anyone who lifts a hand on children,” but claimed that the controversial sign has been around for 10 years, and the city has "never received a single complaint."
At one point during the press conference, a man interrupted the mayor, yelling him down and calling on him to step down. Security officers were able to remove him from the premises.
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disgusting! Enough to make a Jew antisemitic!
The idea behind non-violent protest is NOT to change the location if someone threatens you.
Im not a haredi Jew. What they do is wrong. They have a right to live theire lifes as they choose. But not demand that from others.
Why cower to these bullies, if they want to "get violent" why don't others meet them with violence....giving them power will never work
Secular tolerants wont go anywhere. They should have parade in front of the Beith Haknesset and women marching first. If the Haredim started violence secualars should habe responded with more violence. If you dont stand face to face in front of violence you lose dignity.
The Ultra-Orthodox are growing in number. Our influence in the Knesset is strong. The police can't do anything. They know know it. You are going to have to learn and deal with reality.
These stories about the Haredim are usually skewed by the secular media. I live in a Haredi neighborhood and they are the most non-violent people I ever met. They are always the victims of slanderous media coverage
How is it that the absuers are not being prosecuted for disorderly conduct or assault?
How do they (Haredim) reconcile? They treat women as 2nd class citizens and then call the cops "Nazis". Truly shocking & embarrassing. How does Israel get back from here?
I mean, really. Calling the people that are trying to bring equality to women, "NAZIs"?! Yeah, the Haredim are the real heroes of this story...
Israel needs to be the Shining Star of the M.East,and not a part of the dark side. I sincerely wish israelis would free themselves of the medieval practices of orthodox zealots and access to an open-minded, beautiful Judaism which is not doomed by Self-destructive imbecilic, self-appointed “spiritual” leaders but full of hope and has a future.
I am shocked and disgusted with the ultra Orthodox men attacks on a woman's human rights in a democratic country like Israel. All of this feels like some kind of twisted Jewish version of sharia law. Golda Meir must be more than just turning over in her grave.
These protest aren't going to accomplish anything. Waste of time. I guarantee most Jewish Women who are fully committed to their religion are against this supposed segregation. In actual fact it's not segregation, it's separation. Ask the married women how they would feel about their husbands mixing with other women in public places, because the women wants to sit and mix with Men.
Perhaps the Israeli state should persuade the Ultra-Orthodox to join the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan. They might be very effective -- after all, it takes one to know one.
Religious people of all colors just make me want to puke.
Not really a light unto nations --is it.
Israel`s Taliban is on the rise! Israel better nip this in the bud...fast!
But also dont compare them with terrorists
So the protestors blinked and move out of the way of the religious fanatics. They APPEASED them. Some protest
Even the Eida HaChareidit thinks that these wackos have to be stopped. The raly should have remained where it was planned and the police should have simply done their job and ensured that this happened.
Really Israel is full of extremists --it just thst many are more extreme then others. Israel is on its way out. Just a matter of time.
I know your hate towards Israel. So these not good element of Jews will be dealt with. U can do me a favor dealing with your arab fanatic friends also.
Why don’t you get the police to protect you against them? Your timidity only encourages Jewish terrorism. They know the police will do nothing against them. Maybe the police is infiltrated by them. Enjoy
Religious extremism is built into the ideological makeup of Israel. You have to re-think the ideological foundation of Zionism or you will always be a theocratic state.
And the lunatics are still running the asylum.
Segregating sidewalks is not the answer. Controlling the evil inclination without excuses is.
I would like everybody to keep in mind that this is strictly the work of extremists. I am what people would call "ultra-orthodox" and apparently the "ultra" part of it makes it sound like we're all crazy. I know from my extensive experience that more than 99% of ultraorthodox would not be violent or disgraceful in the way that has been highlighted by the recent stories. All it takes to smirch 10% of israel's population is a couple of fringe lunatics acting out of their own psychotic volitions. No respected rabbi will ever stand up for these despicable people and neither will I. These extremists deserve to be arrested just like anybody else that does similar acts. However they definitely do not portray the average ultra-orthodox jew. An incomplete list of the notable rabbis/politicians that are against the segregation and violence: Aryeh Deri Aboutbol, Yonah Metzger Avraham Yosef Notable rabbis/politicians that are for the segregation and violence:
then they need to be caught, tried and jailed. An example needs to be set that Israel will not become another Islamic state with a Jewish name. All Jews around the world need to stand up to this barbaric cult. They defame the name of Jews and Israel around the world. As a Jew, I am appalled at the actions of these terrorists!
... the security people would have cleaned the place up in no time. When there's a will, there's a way. There's no will to oppose the troublemakers in Bet Shemesh. Sad.
It is perfectly legal to protest in public spaces, they are only stopped when violent.