Constitutional Law, International, Politics, Religion, Society, Uncategorized

Ultra-Orthodox Jews Attack Buses and Riders Over Ads Calling For Equal Rights For Women To Pray

10258065_10152705666090673_8596767114169859453_oBus riders this week found themselves under attack by dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews who hurled stones and slashed the tires of their buses. The reason? Some buses featured ads supporting the right of women to worship at a holy site in Jerusalem. This is only the latest such attack by ultra-Orthodox Jews who have manned “modesty patrols” on the streets and attacked women who call for equal access at sites like the Western Wall.


About 50 men were involved in the vigilante attacks after a group called Women of the Wall or WOW sought equal rights in praying at the wall. They particularly want Bat Mitzvah ceremonies for girls allowed at the Wall as opposed to a neared prayer site. The advertisements showed girls and women wearing prayer shawls and holding a Torah scroll, which the men denounced as act reserved by God for only men. Buses were sprayed painted with such demands as “end the obscene pictures.”

Ultra-orthodox Jews have also been destroying posters, billboards, and harassing secular Jews. I have previously criticized the government for fueling this sense of immunity by running special buses for Orthodox neighborhoods and arresting women wearing shawls at the Wall. It is scourge of Israel’s rejection of separation of Temple and State.

However, last year, a court ruled that women should be permitted to pray as they choose. Yet, the women say that they are still being prevented from worshipping with a Torah scroll at the Wall. The government is clearly not fully supporting these women and it is also not vigorously investigating and arresting these Ultra-Orthodox extremists. In various local stories, there is notably not a single story noting that anyone has been arrested.

The problem is not just the absence of separation of Temple and State. It is also the anachronistic and highly unstable constitutional system in Israel which allows tiny religious parties to effectively control governments. Israeli society is highly secular but the system gives these parties inflated political power — and a sense of absolute immunity.

Source: Fox

48 thoughts on “Ultra-Orthodox Jews Attack Buses and Riders Over Ads Calling For Equal Rights For Women To Pray”

  1. I am a little confused about this issue-there is a women’s section at the Wailing Wall. I know because I have been there many times.

  3. happypappies, when you post a comment as follows: “It’s like everyone is attacking women now because a precedent is being set in the middle east by ISIS and these Terrorists” I feel compelled to call you out on it, nothing personal. You write that ISIS is setting a precedent on horrific killings of women? Remember witches being burned on the stake here and in Europe? Remember women being stoned in several countries? Remember acid thrown on women? Remember Chinese women in Nanking being raped and then beheaded by Japanese soldiers? Seen snuff movies where women literally get cup up for the sexual pleasure of men (and they weren’t Muslims, I can guarantee you that!)
    In my line of work I have seen horrors done to women living on every continent of this world, in the name of every god or ideology ever invented . I’ve seen them with my very own eyes, have watched horrible footage and worked my butt off to help draw attention of atrocities, including the treatment of women and girls by ISIS. But I stand by my statement that you wrote a very ignorant comment. My comment isn’t ‘out of context’ at all. The context simply is this: violence against women continues to terrorize many girls and women in the world!
    Have a nice evening.

    1. Els DL In my line of work I have seen horrors done to women living on every continent of this world —– Perhaps you didn’t understand my intent or my comment then. I actually was one of those women once so I speak with some empathy. ——- I feel compelled to call you out on it, nothing personal. You write that ISIS is setting a precedent on horrific killings of women Remember witches being burned on the stake here and in Europe? ——– That was in the 17th century and I don’t remember this being anything to do with Semitic People. Remember Chinese women in Nanking being raped and then beheaded by Japanese soldiers? Seen snuff movies where women literally get cup up for the sexual pleasure of men (and they weren’t Muslims, I can guarantee you that!) ——- Once again – I don’t see the correlation between these examples and mine.

      I do know that Hasidic Jews don’t allow anyone but their wives to touch them and they are also unclean during monthly cycles, so this would be a great excuse to be even more bigoted.

      I do see the example of the horrific child shields in Palestine Meshal being an example.

      I see Hamas as an example of ISIS and I suppose I should not just say women although the Muslims are known for extreme prejudice against them (women) and brutality.

      Netanyahu drew a comparison of both the ISIS and Hamas charters, and noted that Hamas cheered exuberantly when close to 3000 people were murdered by al-Qaeda in the US during the September 11, 2001 attacks.

      “Hamas is ISIS, and ISIS is Hamas,” he declared. “And what they share is what all Islamism shares: [. . .] they all have the same ideology, they all seek to establish a global militant Islam – where there is no freedom. To them, anyone can be considered an infidel, including fellow Muslims.”

      This speech was made on Oct 1 2014 to the United Nations.

      All this is simmering. So, it has nothing to do with Hasidic Jews reacting like they are right now. And did on the 14 of September. Very out of Character.

      These Jewish Palestinians are not allowed to pray unless they are over 50 at some Holy sites in Israel. And there are Demonstrations by the Knesset. And Netanyahu is comparing Hamas to ISIS. And I am Ignorant.
      http://jordantimes.com/israeli-minister-threatens-to-close-jerusalems-al-haram-al-sharif-entirely
      Have a Nice day.

      1. happypappies – I would say the Israelis were closer to the problem than you were. You are aware the Jews of any age are not allowed to pray at certain holy sites in Jerusalem. And you do know there are Arabs elected to the Knesset?
        Everyone talks about Israel walling off Palestine, but their Arab neighbors have done the same. They do not want them either. I don’t support any group that hides its weapons in a UN hospital.

  4. Israel is a cluster****. A failed experiment. Time to just wait it out until demographics inevitably swallow this apartheid blight on humanity run by a bunch of child killing right wing nutters.

  5. Thank you, Kirk. I was blown away at the ignorant statements here today. ISIS started a precedent on harming women? Holy cow, talk about knowing very little about history.

    1. Els DL I consider Chopping Heads off and wearing black hoods a new and different type of terrorism. Nice of you to insult me out of context. Unnecessary also as it’s wrong these men do this. The USA is very aware of their faults. Thank you. 🙂

  7. As someone who lived in Israel I am appalled at the ignorance shown here. The attack of the Ultra orthodox on women far preceded ISIS and what is modern day terror. (Funny that someone tried to lay blame on them for what these people are doing.)

    Then we get this nonsense.
    “Communist atheists would knock on your door and kill you for whatever reason they wish. It goes on every day in North Korea and China. ”

    Really. Nick tells about your experiences in these countries? For one thing, the American citizen if far more likely to have the authorities knocking on their door than the Chinese citizen is.

    “100 million and counting murdered by Communists in the worst holocaust in history.” Well let’s think, By some counting the US killed 10% of the population of Vietnam fighting communism. Who has killed more innocent civilians in the last thirty years, Communism or the US?

    “Just tell the Christians or Jehovah’s who knock on your door to get off your porch. ” Or tell the Christian Soldiers of the DRC army, who just got blessed by the Priest to stop rapping all the women in your town?

  8. It’s like everyone is attacking women now because a precedent is being set in the middle east by ISIS and these Terrorists

  9. Religion can lead people to kill. But for latent European anti-semitism, there could not have been a Final Solution. Jew-hatred did not materialize out of thin air. Christianity’s blood libel against the Jews was to blame. The Nazis exploited this Jew-hatred to dehumanize Jews. But how can a lack of belief in a supernatural being motivate an atheist to kill? What is the rationale? Stalin for his part did not kill people because he did not believe in God; he killed because he was a paranoid megalomaniac.

    1. Jeffrey Silberman – blood libel is a whole different subject for discussion. England was just as anti-Semitic as Germany, Churchill just did not think of a Final Solution. Roosevelt was no friend to the Jews, except when he wanted their money come election time. Russia was the home of several previous pograms just before the war. Interesting because Hitler thought (and a least partially true) that the Jews had funded the Communists.

  11. Atheism is a core tenet of Communism. Jeffrey needs to step up his atheist game. Communists kill people because of their religion, just as the Nazi’s did. Just as ISIS does.

  12. Communist atheists would knock on your door and kill you for whatever reason they wish. It goes on every day in North Korea and China. Just tell the Christians or Jehovah’s who knock on your door to get off your porch. Like you probably will be telling the Halloween kids next week. 100 million and counting murdered by Communists in the worst holocaust in history. Deal w/ the facts. And, we see how homosexuals do in Communist and former Commie countries. HELLUVA lot better here in the USA. Ask a gay person, USA, Russia or China!!

  13. Fanatics and extremists have used religion as an excuse control and condemn others since the beginning of recorded history. As long as half the population continues to have below average intelligence, the smarter fanatics will continue this strategy until the end of time.

  14. I wonder if someone is going to correlate that this action somehow advances the homosexual agenda.

  17. This type of religious intolerance to others is sad, scary and unfortunately does not appear to be decreasing.

    btw – I see no atheists slashing tires and/or trying implement “kill the gays” bills. Nor do I have atheists knocking at my door peddling their views. The intent in trying to create a false equivalency hints of fundie desperation.

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