Tel-Chai Nation

I think it was a serious mistake for the Ben Gurion airport to reject this advertisement, presumably because they didn't want to "offend" Haredis:

Israel’s main international airport has rejected a billboard campaign calling on women to stand up to gender discrimination by refusing to give up their airplane seats at the behest of ultra-Orthodox men.

The notice, initiated by the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) – the advocacy arm of the Reform Movement in Israel – hoped to inform passengers at Ben-Gurion Airport of their rights during the Passover travel season.

[...] “Ladies, please take your seat ... and Keep it!” the billboard urges. It notes that “requiring a passenger to switch seats because of their gender is illegal,” and that "a flight attendant may not force you to switch seats to avoid mixed seating.”

However, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) has refused to display the billboard, despite an apparent agreement on pricing being reached, the IRAC told Haaretz. IRAC Director Rabbi Noa Sattath said that a deal had been settled “but suddenly, they notify us that they’re not approving it.”

A spokesman for the Israel Airports Authority said that it is policy to avoid campaigns that are partisan. “We steer clear of any advertising that is political or divisive. For the same reason, we would reject billboards by the Islamic Movement and Yad l’Achim,” IAA spokesman Ofer Leffler said, referring to a Haredi anti-assimilation group.

[...] Haredi men say that the modesty law of their religion forbids them from sitting beside any woman who is not their wife. This has resulted in airlines asking some women to switch seats so that a Haredi man does not have to sit next to her.

[...] Right-wing lawmaker Bezalel Smotrich has slammed the Reform movement as a “bunch of trolls” and criticised the advert for calling on the public to disregard God’s beliefs and act without kindness. Some other social media users appeared to agree with the view of the IRAC but described the advertisement as inciting and offensive.

To this I must say, Smotrich is a disgrace for approving of petty, cowardly issues and not ask Haredis to get used to things that aren't such a big deal, to say nothing of demand their overlords quit dictating they behave so strangely. I'll give them credit for not associating with the Islamic Movement, but I still don't see how this is justified (and I honestly don't know if the ads are truly offensive). If Smotrich also sees nothing wrong with socialism, that's another grave error he's making.

Labels: haredi corruption, Israel, Knesset, misogyny, Moonbattery