The following appears on the front page of the Sunday edition of HaMevaser in the name of the Rabbonim responsible for transportation, i.e. mehadrin lines.

1. The mehadrin system is a voluntary one, and those men and women who comply with it do so without being compelled to adhere to the separation, in compliance with Halacha.

2. As was explained in the past and now being explained again, we decry in the strongest terms and any all violence and any type of coercion chas v’sholom towards compelling one to move to another area of a bus. These acts only results in Chilul Hashem as gedolei yisrael have explained.

3. The one-year experimental period during which the Ministry of Transportation is evaluating the system by which passengers on a mehadrin line may board using front and rear doors, accommodating gender segregation is coming to an end. The number of incidents involving coercion is few in number and that is what has prompted this incitement campaign against us – those working to halt all mehadrin lines. They are resorting to provocation, violence and other tactics. They must be ignored at all costs.

4. This afternoon, Sunday, the tzibur is urged to refrain from using mehadrin lines as they plan a major provocative action, to board buses and defy separate seating.

A spokesman for the vaad, Shai Horowitz, told Kol Chai Radio that it is imperative that the tzibur at large does not fall prey to today’s planned incitement. The organizers are hoping 3,000 people will board mehadrin lines and sit next to one-another, ignoring the gender separation. Horowitz added the vaad condemns these provocative acts along with any and all acts of violence.

As bus fares are increasing today, Horowitz was asked to comment on the fares, on the current hate campaign against chareidim, and bus service in general. Following is a synopsis of his comments.

Years ago, 16 to be exact, the nation’s public transportation was to undergo a major reform, and this is yet to happen. Once there is truly competition, service will improve and rates will drop but there is still foot-dragging. Egged in Jerusalem appears a bit mixed up, feeling that instead of serving the chareidi tzibur, we are here to serve it. This has to change. He added the entire incident involving Shlomo Fuchs on a 49A bus is the fault of Egged and the tzibur must be made aware of this – just how the driver and the inspector used their positions to advance their own personal feelings.

The entire campaign began about a month ago, in the Washington Post, an article depicting Israel in a bad light due to segregated buses, leading to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her infamous remark comparing us to Iran. A few days later, Tanya Rosenblit got on board a bus in her planned move, which many compared to Rosa Parks, and from there it has been downhill spiral.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)