Report reveals UTJ's special clause in the coalition negotiations
"The abolition of the prohibition of gender segregation in public events is a religious coercion that constitutes a violation of equality and misogynistic discrimination funded by the government."
By ALON EINHORNWill they not be allowed to stand together in public events?(photo credit: REUTERS)
A new report by Kan on Monday revealed that a draft of the coalition agreement between Likud and United Torah Judaism would have a cancellation of the prohibition on segregation between women and men in public events."Within 90 days, the government will amend the law so that public services, studies, events, etc. can be allowed separately for men and women, and for this separation not to constitute discrimination under the law," the clause in the draft read.The demand for this clause was made in order to overcome opinions heard in the past by the Deputy Attorney-General Dina Zilber, who fought the segregation issue, causing anger among the Orthodox and religious parties.The Likud responded, saying that "There was no agreement on a concrete law, the Orthodox and the right-wing coalition sought to find a solution to Zilber's remarks and the Likud said they would try to find a solution to the issue."Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu, responded to Kan's report, saying that "Today we have received further proof that the Likud led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has succumbed to all the demands made by the Orthodox in the coalition negotiations. The cancellation of the prohibition on segreation between women and men is another step towards turning the state of Israel into a halacha state. Yisrael Beytenu will fight with all its might to prevent this from happening.""The abolition of the prohibition of gender segregation in public events is a religious coercion that constitutes a violation of equality and misogynistic discrimination funded by the government," Meretz MK Michal Rozin also commented.The report has been published on the same day that MK Betzalel Smotrich of the Union of Right-Wing Parties said that he wants a halachic state in which Israel is governed in accordance with Torah law, to which Netanyahu later responded that Israel will not become a halachic state.
