Ultra-Orthodox bar women from major Jerusalem economic conference

[Poll_Blind]

From Haaretz:

Women who came to last week's Management Forum conference in Jerusalem, hosted by the Haredi newspaper Hamodia, were not allowed to participate - the event was for men only.

Hamodia's Management Forum is an important annual economic conference. It is the Haredi equivalent of the Caesaria conference. It is held at the Jerusalem International Convention Center, better known as Binyanei Ha'uma, which belongs to the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish Agency. Leading Israeli companies participate. This year, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat gave speeches.

--snip--

The flourishing sexist religious political and social agenda is the result of the long complicity of the Knesset, which has authorized the subjugation of women to patriarchal religious power in personal status matters, has funded religious political parties that have no women on their Knesset lists due to ideology. This agenda has been endorsed by the government through the growing segregation of men and women in public spaces, schools, institutions of higher education and the army.

--snip--

The men-only economic conference at Binyanei Ha'uma promises to put Jewish women outside the labor market, too. The growing segregation of women in Israel will affect not only Orthodox women. Men who insist on segregation in the army, in class and in political parties are not going to cooperate with women in the workplace.

Israel is the only country I know of, and certainly first-world country, in which sex segregation is getting more entrenched in their society, not less so.

PB

[Taverner]

1. Thank religion for that one eom

[jul61252]

9. +1

[LiberalEsto]

2. Since quite a few Haredi men sit around studying Torah

and doing nothing to support their gigantic families, Haredi women are frequently the breadwinners. How will the men feed themselves and their broods if they don't work, and won't let the women work?

My sister-in-law is a Haredi (convert from Catholicism) living in Israel, and she has been the sole breadwinner for herself, her husband and their 8 kids. Her husband studies the Torah and very rarely does some kosher meat inspections, but she earns a living as the postmistress of their community, does upholstery work, raises goats, and does many other other things to earn money. About half her children are grown and married, but now she's also supporting a divorced daughter and her four children. (divorced because the husband absolutely refused to lift a finger to support the six of them, and now doesn't pay a penny of child support.) I don't know how these women do it all. They are just amazing.

If the Haredi men succeed in forcing their women out of the workplaces, I predict they will be very unhappy when they discover that there is nobody bringing home a paycheck.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. Haredi families also receive a stipend from the Government

The value of that stipend has declined over time and that has forced many Haredi into the work force with no marketable skills.

[LiberalEsto]

8. Why a stipend?

It seems pretty unfair for the rest of Israelis to have to subsidize one group of presumably able-bodied men who refuse to work to support their families. If I were a secular Jew in Israel I would probably be very unhappy about that.

[hlthe2b]

3. Knesset lauds Beck, Israeli "fundies" bar women professionals...

Likudist government launches fatal raids on flotillas attempting humanitarian support, AIPAC actively intercedes to influence US elections.

Yes our "strongest" ally shouldn't receive any crticism, now should it? :eyes:

[damntexdem]

4. Just a further fascist turn in Israeli society.

One more nail in the coffin.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. I suggest you do not know Israel then...

The Haredi are a small minority with influence well beyond their numbers since none of the other major parties often have enough to form a government. When a party does get enough votes to be the majority, the Haredi are pretty much ignored.

[Klietzlander]

7. "Haredi newspaper Hamodia"

Not really surprising, it was hosted by the Ultra-Orthodox themselves.