Israeli secular, religious ministers hold heated debate over women's rights

[Violet_Crumble]

Likud's Limor Livnat warns that exclusion of women leads to violence against women; Shas minister Nahari: We must respect those who find women's singing offensive.

By Barak Ravid

Secular and religious cabinet members engaged in a heated discussion over the issue of women's rights in Israel on Sunday, forcing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to weigh in and urge further dialogue.

The public debate over the exclusion of women from public spaces has recently come into view with the refusal of religious soldiers to attend official Israel Defense Forces events which feature women's singing.

Commenting on the issue last week, Maj. Gen. Orna Barbivai, head of the Israel Defense Forces' personnel directorate, who was appointed by Chief of Staff Benny Gantz to examine the role of women and religious soldiers in the army, said that women's military service should not be impaired over religious demands.

The army "must make it possible for every female soldier and any woman to sing at any ceremony and on any stage. We must enable both religious soldiers and women to have a significant army service, and not exclude them from tasks," Barbivai said.

During the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, however, the issue caused a conflict of sorts between Shas minister Meshulam Nahari, on the one side, and Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat along with Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, on the other.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israeli-secular-religious-ministers-hold-heated-debate-over-women-s-rights-1.398061

[bemildred]

1. "We must respect those who find women's singing offensive."

As opposed to respecting women as equals.

[Scurrilous]

2. Shas rabbi's daughter for women's rights

Rabbanit Adina Bar Shalom, daughter of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, says exclusion of women from public domain violates Torah. 'Halacha treats women with the utmost respect,' she clarifies

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4154374,00.html

<snip>

"Rabbanit Adina Bar Shalom, the daughter of Shas' spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, has criticized the exclusion of women from the public domain in the ultra-Orthodox sector, which she says "violates Torah."

Speaking Monday at the Women Talking Women economic conference in Tel Aviv, Bar Shalom mentioned the "kosher bus lines", defining the phenomenon as "the exclusion of women from the public domain."

According to Bar Shalom, this is not the way things should be as "Halacha treats women with the utmost respect."

Rabbi Yosef's daughter explained that "the haredi woman lives in a society where rabbis set the rules."

Addressing the issue of feminism in the sector, Bar Shalom said that "the haredi woman shuts herself off from the outside society, thinking that feminism will hurt her family," but added that she believes Jewish Law is in favor of gender equality."

[King_David]

3. Thanks for posting

:thumbsup: