A chareidi website published an article that MK (Yesh Atid) Dr. Aliza Lavie was taking part in a hafroshos challah event for women together with the wife of party leader Yair Lapid. The Kippa dati leumi website announced the event online on Tuesday, 14 Shevat. The article stated “Lavie promises simcha, brachos, questions and answers”.

However, when the chareidi website ran the piece, it did so but expunged the photo of the female MK. The photo used by Kippa and elsewhere shows the MK dressed modestly, only her head, but the chareidi site opted to exclude the photo nonetheless.

Lavie did not hide her disdain for the decision, telling the press such a policy such be eliminated. “This is exactly the type of thing that compelled me to run for Knesset, to fight against the discrimination against women with prejudice against women that harm them simply because they are women. It would be worthy to see this phenomenon vanish from the world and I am embarrassed in the State of Israel an entire sector accepts discrimination against women with indifference”.

She added that a strong Yesh Atid party is a must towards continuing the battle to end discrimination against women. “I call on the chareidi tzibur to fight this in any way possible and to permit me and my colleagues in Yesh Atid to fight for a more sane state” MK Lavie added.

The website responds: I am ashamed that in the State of Israel a Member of Knesset defies the highest value of freedom of speech, which permits everyone to express their view whatever it may be. It appears this is so until it comes to chareidim, which you claim attacks women’s’ dignity with your claim women are not visible to our community. Our women are our mothers and daughters, and their photos are happily placed in albums for us to see with the family and not as a promotional tool.

“We, unlike the remaining population do not view the women as objects. In your tenure as chairwoman of the Knesset Committee to Advance Women’s Rights the cynical disregard for women continues as a tool for promotion and public relations.

“To get their attention for a bit before elections, it is easy to simply blame the chareidim and to turn chareidi women into unfortunates. Your party is built on this. We, unlike yourselves, do not use photos of women and we will not in the future for we do not turn women into objects”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)