We must not let the dam burst // Michal Aharoni
Many times I want to be only around women. There are times when the presence of a man causes me and my friends to behave differently. They undermine our balance, and place restrictions and limitations.
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We have a women's only Facebook group, girls' nights out, and outings where we talk and act like we would never do around men. However, it is our choice to create this safe space, we decide when and how it will take place.
This is the routine that we set for ourselves at any given moment. It changes depending on the situation and how we feel. Because women, even though they "cannot contemplate complex ideas," know very well when they want to be alone and when they want to be together. You don't need a law for that, you can just ask them what they want.
When MK Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionist Party, and Yitzhak Goldknopf, head of United Torah Judaism, come and demand that gender segregation not be considered discrimination, this is already problematic. How can two men, one from a party that does not even allow women to be a part of it, join together to lead such an initiative? How is it possible that these kinds of demands always come from men? How is it that no woman has ever raised the banner of this demand?
Segregationist Judaism
The answer is clear: These are two men who think that they know what's right and what's good for women. Goldknopf has also never had any women from his religious sector who want to have any influence from within the Knesset; as far as he is concerned there is not even one.
And Smotrich? He has engraved the concept of segregation on his political banner, the crux of his Judaism is distinct and differentiating. A Jew who is not prepared to have an Arab doctor touch her baby because he "desecrates" the moment of birth, the Judaism that pushes women to the back of the bus and forgets that "God created male and female" side by side. Not one behind the other.
So, yes, Knesset members and rabbis, and religious adjudicators always think that they know what is best and right for us. They have ownership over wisdom and morality and justice. They are here to do good for women, while, God forbid, never marring their status. It's just that all this good they are showering on us, such as not permitting women to enlist into the army, not to sing in front of men, not to attend mixed events, and a million and one other examples, always amount to what is forbidden for women to do. What men claim that they are doing in favor of women, always ends against them.
If ultra-Orthodox women come and demand segregated events, I'd be the last one to say no. But in the end, whenever decisions and rulings are made for and about women – for some reason, it's the men who are making the decisions.
And the moment that the law is enacted, the floodgates will open for a torrent of separated events. The hole in the dam, which we anyway stop with our little finger, just like the Dutch girl, will burst. Then women will not only be removed from positions of power and influence, their voices will not only be banned in public – they will not be heard at all.
What is permitted for the secular // Merav Sever
Outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid had no free time to support the vital struggle of women in Iran; that is until yesterday. That is when Lapid came out with a populist and shallow statement, comparing the demand of the Religious Zionist Party and United Torah Judaism to change the law so that gender segregation in public events on religious grounds is not considered discrimination, to the atrocities taking place in the Islamic Republic.
The sad part of Lapid's outrageous statement is not the fact that he did not bother to read the article to the end, nor the clear reservation that this is an important amendment for ultra-Orthodox and religious women, who want to enjoy cultural events with gender segregation, in accordance with their faith and lifestyle. The sad part here is that Lapid knows the truth, yet chooses to create rifts, incite and lie, all in order to stir up the Israeli public, who are absolutely terrified of the government that is about to be formed, making them believe that the Revolutionary Guards of the Modesty Police will be present at Shlomo Artzi and Omer Adam's performances forcing the audience to sit separately.
This is especially infuriating when knowing that in recent years Lapid's wife, Lihi Lapid, has personally held several cultural events for women only. MK Merav Ben Ari, of the Yesh Atid party, also organized an event in the last elections for ultra-Orthodox women only, where she promised to answer their questions.
Under the Radar
Under the embarrassing and groveling title " The wisest of women – each one built her house" (Proverbs, 14:1), they were joined by Merav Michaeli, who set up an ultra-Orthodox section in the Labor Party and invited ultra-orthodox women to participate in a gender-separate conference that she organized.
In fact, in October, even the left-wing Meretz party held a conference at Beit Jann with gender segregation. The conference, organized by MK Ali Salalha, passed quietly under the radar because the Arabs are allowed to hold events according to the lifestyle they believe in. Michaeli and Ben Ari are also allowed to take the votes of ultra-Orthodox women, but, God forbid, they are not allowed to live according to their faith.
On the other hand, Motti Steinmetz's performance in Afula during the summer, as well as the concerts of Hanan Ben Ari, Of Simhas, and Kobi Aflalo in Bat Yam, were canceled in 2019 following a vexing petition by women's organizations.
The petition denied ultra-Orthodox and religious women the opportunity to enjoy a segregated performance, due to the rapacious attempt to impose a secular lifestyle on them. Not one enlightened woman from any secular women's organization thought to ask an ultra-Orthodox woman what she wants.
Lapid and the women's organizations want the ultra-Orthodox women to be obedient and submissive. But instead of obeying Jewish law, these women must obey how others think they must live. They should not dare to enjoy a separate event for women.
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