Sex Segregated Buses in Israel??

[ParanoiA]

I just ran across this story...

 

"Modesty Patrol"

 

A 50-year-old American-Israeli woman says she was viciously attacked by an ad-hoc "modesty patrol" because she refused to go to the back of a bus in Jerusalem. Miriam Shear tells the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that she was in Israel on vacation and riding a bus to the old city to pray at sunrise. Jerusalem does have some sex-segregated buses, but she was not on one. Yet a man demanded she give up her seat — and when she refused — a group of four attacked her.

 

Shear says she got in a few good licks of her own, however, including a punch to the face of one and a kick to the privates of another, saying, "I will never forget the look on his face." She also lost her hair covering in the attack — so she grabbed one of the men's hats and threw it down the aisle. She says the bus driver did nothing and the passengers actually said the whole thing was her fault.

 

Geez, how disgusting. Anyone have the scoop on sex segregated buses in Israel? Any other exclusionary prejudice policies going on in Israel? I can't believe this kind of thing still goes on in a civilized, developed country like Israel.

[Y-S]

That's ****ed up. I heard someone state before, that "Israel is still fighting for its own existence" and that's probably sadly true

[ecoli]

The people who attacked her didn't happen to be the uber religious sort, did they? Cause that would make sense... inexcusable, of course, but it would certainly explain the mentality behind the attack.

[ParanoiA]

The people who attacked her didn't happen to be the uber religious sort, did they? Cause that would make sense... inexcusable, of course, but it would certainly explain the mentality behind the attack.

 

I'm not sure. But I'm actually more outraged at the idea that Israel would allow such policies as segregation by sex ( of any kind for that matter ) to exist in this day and age.

 

And this isn't the first time I've run across some kind of -ism related to Israel. From what I understand, there's something about citizenship and race and land ownership or something similar, that smacks of racism.

[Amos Schuman]

The No. 2 bus runs through a major Haredi neighborhood, which pressured Egged to run mehadrin buses after organizing their own community lines. Their purchasing power has been influential in getting community zoning projects to maintain kashrut in terminals and this is just the last flexing of political and economic muscle in that community. Ultimately, this will backfire against them. Unfortunately, it means that Haredis will likely seek community alternatives. But hey, nobody said life in Israel isn't interesting.

[ecoli]

I'm not sure. But I'm actually more outraged at the idea that Israel would allow such policies as segregation by sex ( of any kind for that matter ) to exist in this day and age.

 

Well, a good number of their population is still living in "stoneage" traditions, like men and women not being allowed to touch or sit together in services.

 

I know for a fact that the people who would use the segregated busses (which must only exist in Jerusalem, I'm almost sure of it), wouldn't see themselves has treating women inferior, but merely following their religious texts closely. This, of course, is not an excusable action, but I think its a far cry from the racial segregation that existed in the united states preceding the civil rights movement.

[ParanoiA]

Well, a good number of their population is still living in "stoneage" traditions, like men and women not being allowed to touch or sit together in services.

 

I know for a fact that the people who would use the segregated busses (which must only exist in Jerusalem, I'm almost sure of it), wouldn't see themselves has treating women inferior, but merely following their religious texts closely. This, of course, is not an excusable action, but I think its a far cry from the racial segregation that existed in the united states preceding the civil rights movement.

 

Hmm...well that is a good point. So you're saying that usually it's a mutally driven idea between men and women who are following their religious texts as they believe they should? If that's the case, I don't see any issue with it, except of course for forcing others to comply who don't wish to.

 

And even if it's not quite that rosey, I do agree it's nothing like the racial segregation here, that's for sure. But that sure is a strikingly similar event to Rosa Parks.