Miniskirt Protesters Blocked From Israel’s Knesset as ‘Modesty’ Spat Rages

Image by Haaretz/Emil Salman

By Naomi Zeveloff December 14, 2016

Forty female Israeli parliamentary aides and advisers showed up to work in miniskirts and black leggings on December 14 in protest of new Knesset modesty rules.

Their protest was sparked by two incidents in recent weeks when women were either turned away or delayed at the Knesset by guards because of what they were wearing.

New Knesset rules took effect last month barring people “in inappropriate clothing, such as … short skirts or dresses, clogs, etc.”

At the Wednesday protest, 10 women were not allowed to enter the Knesset. The rest were, but stayed outside as part of the demonstration, Haaretz reported. Zionist Union lawmaker Manuel Trajtenberg stripped down to an undershirt in solidarity with the women.

Here’s video of @ManuelTraj at the miniskirt protest: You’ll all have to come in burkas! pic.twitter.com/5xtz7hUT9K

— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) December 14, 2016

Before the mini skirt protest, the union representing the Knesset aides met with Knesset director Albert Saharovitch but the two sides failed to come to an agreement with Saharovitch maintaining the need for the new dress code to “preserve the honor of the Knesset.”

Contact Naomi Zeveloff at [email protected] or on Twitter @naomizeveloff

Naomi Zeveloff is the former Middle East correspondent of the Forward, primarily covering Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

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