Egged officials announced that in keeping with its new policy established a number of months ago in the capital not to permit bus ads showing the faces of women, it will maintain modesty in the upcoming election campaign as well. As such, Egged will not show the faces of candidates, only their message.

MK (Ichud HaLeumi) Dr. Michael Ben-Ari applauded the decision, explaining voters should get the message of parties and candidates and not just vote for a pretty face. Yair Lapid on the other hand was not pleased, and he released a statement opposing the decision, joined by MKs from the extremist left-wing Meretz Party.

Meretz leader MK Zahava Gal-On used the situation to lash out against Egged for acquiescing to ‘chareidi coercion’.

Egged explains that in an effort to be respectful to the chareidi tzibur a decision was made months ago to refrain from showing ads with women’s faces. The decision was challenged on the basis of discriminating against women. Since that petition to the High Court of Justice Egged decided to take it a step further and no longer shows the faces of males or females in billboard bus ads in the capital and this will be the case in the upcoming election as well.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)