An umbrella group representing Israeli women’s organizations has petitioned the High Court of Justice to rescind a decision by the transportation minister to separate men and women on buses that serve fervently Orthodox neighborhoods in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak. Under the decision by Minister Yitzhak Levy of the National Religious Party, women would be required to sit in the rear of the bus, while the front would be reserved for men.
The Israel Women’s Network said in its petition that the decision was discriminatory and violates the right to freedom of movement.
The petitioners also called on the Dan and Egged bus cooperatives to refuse to implement the new policy.
Defending his decision, Levy said it was only meant to take into account the sensitivities of the Orthodox population served by those bus routes.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
