In the wake of the absurd Supreme Court decision last year forcing a pool in the almost exclusively religious town of Kiryat Arba to offer at least two hours of mixed swimming a day, Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir filed an appeal to the Supreme Court demanding that the Bedouin city of Rahat offer mixed swimming in its municipal pool.
The pool in Kiryat Arba closed down due to the Supreme Court decision and many pointed out the hypocrisy of the court decision since Arab or Bedouin communities also do not offer mixed swimming in their municipal pools. Additionally, many Israeli public pools and beaches in mixed religious-secular communities do not offer separate swimming hours despite a growing demand for it.
Last week, Supreme Court Justice Alex Stein ordered the Rahat Municipality, the mayor, the Interior Ministry, the Attorney-General, and the Authority for the Advancement of the Status of Women to respond to Ben Gvir’s petition against the Rahat municipal pool within 30 days.
“Rahat is not above the law and the law of Rahat is like the law of Kiryat Arba,” Ben-Gvir wrote in the petition.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
IF THE SAME LAW APPLIES TO JEWS AND ARABS, WHY ARE ARABS EXEMPT FROM COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE?
It would be totally inconsistent for the zionists to persecute traditional Judaism while supporting traditional Islam. The anti-Chareidi policy is nothing “personal” – it is part of zionism’s consistent (going back to the 19th century) opposition to the very concept of religion. It’s not “us” they hate, it’s the idea of a creator telling them what to do. The irony is the Chareidim political leadership’s inability to forge an alliance with the Muslims against the atheists.
You misunderstand. When Jews separate men and women, it’s oppressing women. When Muslims separate men and women it’s “their cultural heritage and we mustn’t interfere.”
He’s right. But is demanding mixed swimming even for Arabs the answer? This doesn’t strike me as the right solution.