Israel Orders Ultra-Orthodox To End Discrimination Against Women
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Israel’s Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein dropped a bomb in the realm of Haredi-secular relations on Wednesday, when he instructed government ministers in a sharply-worded statement to immediately stop the exclusion of women in the areas under their authority.
At the end of several meetings in his office, Weinstein adopted the recommendations of a report by the team led by Sarit Dana, outgoing deputy attorney general in charge of civil affairs, that boldly calls for an end to discrimination in every area of public policy.
Weinstein explicitly ordered Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat, Communications Minister Gilad Erdan, Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Religious Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett, Health Minister Yael German and Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz to eliminate the exclusion of women from the public sphere.
Additionally, a report by the Justice Ministry determined that segregation in cemeteries and the prohibition against women delivering eulogies at funerals constitute illegal discrimination and the Religious Affairs Ministry must put an end to them immediately.
Furthermore, no state-sponsored event, such as those organized by any of the ministries, or public authority may segregate men and women. Same goes for buses, which last year became a battleground for the issue.
For more go to Haaretz
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