Rabbis in Israeli city introduce separate sidewalks for men and women

Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Bnei Brak. Photo: Ynetnews

The municipality of Bnei Brak has begun dividing sidewalks into separate zones for men and women in accordance with instructions issued by the city’s rabbis, reports The Times of Israel.

The municipality of Bnei Brak has begun dividing sidewalks into separate zones for men and women in accordance with instructions issued by the city’s rabbis, The Times of Israel reports.

Earlier, thousands of Hasidic Jews in Israel surrounded a military prison in protest over the detention of a draft evader.

Gender-segregation measures have been introduced on the central streets of Shlomo HaMelech and Ezra. Municipal authorities issued regulations requiring residents of all ages to follow the new pedestrian traffic rules. In the city’s busiest areas, workers have begun installing barriers and signs designed to prevent accidental encounters between men and women.

City officials stressed that the local community, which remains loyal to its spiritual leaders, will fully comply with their directives. The project is expected to be expanded to other neighborhoods in the future.

Women’s rights activists sharply criticized the move, arguing that religious leaders are seeking to push women out of public life altogether. Opponents of the policy noted that the decision was made exclusively by men and ignores the interests of half the city’s population.

Israel’s Supreme Court previously ruled against similar practices, ordering the removal of so-called “modesty signs” in Beit Shemesh in 2017. However, in Bnei Brak, a city of approximately 231,000 residents, the overwhelming majority of the population belongs to ultra-Orthodox communities.

As the UOJ previously reported, ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked traffic in Israel following the arrest of draft evaders.

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