Israel's Transportation Ministry Reports To High Court on Sex-Segregated Buses

In two articles last week, the Jerusalem Post reports on the response of Israel's Transportation Ministry to an order of Israel's High Court of Justice originally issued in 2008 calling for the Ministry to report on gender-segregated public bus lines being operated by the Egged Bus Cooperative. At issue are bus lines serving the haredi (strictly Orthodox Jewish) community whose religious beliefs call for gender separation. A lawsuit filed in 2007 challenged the legality of these so-called "Mehadrin" (kosher) buses (see prior posting). The Transportation Ministry's report concludes that imposed sex segregation on buses serving the public violates basic human rights such as equality and freedom of movement. It recommended a year-long trial of a voluntary system in which buses in haredi neighborhoods would open both the front and rear doors when picking up passengers so that those who wish to voluntarily sit separately could do so. Drivers would be responsible for preventing passengers from coercing others who do not wish to comply with separate seating arrangements. Also there will be no restrictions on the type of clothing that men or women wear on these buses. [Thanks to Religion & State In Israel for the lead.]