Boys Club

Lifted from Dammit Janet!:

This is the official group portrait of the new Israeli cabinet:

This is how it appeared in two ultra-Orthodox newspapers.

Two ultra-Orthodox Jewish newspapers have altered a photo of Israel's new cabinet, removing two female ministers.

Limor Livnat and Sofa Landver were grouped with the rest of the 30-member cabinet for their inaugural photo.

But Yated Neeman newspaper digitally changed the picture by replacing them with two men. The Shaa Tova newspaper blacked the women out.

Publishing pictures of women is viewed by many ultra-orthodox Jews as a violation of female modesty.

Other Israeli papers reprinted the altered images next to the original photos, with one headlining it "Find the lady".

These are the same men that yell at women who sit in front of Jerusalem buses, stand outside of stores harassing shopkeepers who don't close at the instant the sabbath begins and are dressed for Polish winters, circa 1800, and not the Middle East heat.

They are also, in many ways, in control of Israel since their votes can make or break a coalition.

Last fall, their newspapers would not even publish photos of Tzipi Livni, then Israel's foreign minister.

A senior editor at Hamodia, an ultra-Orthodox daily, said there was no plan to reconsider the ban on publishing women's pictures.

"We have always done things according to the Torah," said the editor, who declined to be named. "This is the way it was since the beginning of the world, and the way it shall remain."

Like I always say, ''If only Eve had been a good girl and made Adam a nice supper instead of fooling with that apple ...''

Comments

[skdadl]

All on its own, the first photo is shocking enough.

When I was young, no one would have thought so. But all those men -- it hits so hard now.

[croghan27]

If you had not told me what it was, I would have thought it was a Taleban 'government' that was pictured.

[Beijing York]

I don't blame Eve. Adam seemed like a bore :-)

[...pat.]

Because, as we all know, the Torah said photos are OK for men, but not for women :-p. Would be happier with the picture if they just blanked them out instead of making it look like there are no women at all. Oh, but I suppose that might tempt the men to have lustful thoughts of what the women might look like?
Grrrrrrrrrr.

[Paul]

"I suppose that might tempt the men to have lustful thoughts of what the women might look like?"
-------

Funny that. I recall watching Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" the other night, when he grilled his female Arabic tour guide with his typical blunt approach.

Specifically, she responded to his comments about the sexist dress code by patiently explaining to him that the code was necessary to prevent the men from being tempted by their "lustful thoughts."

[Alison S]

Gee, who knew there were cameras back in the day, or is it just men with their own interpretations of ancient rolls of parchment?

Stupidity and fundamentalism seem to go together regardless of the religion.

[Paul]

What did they do when Golda Meir was prime minister?

[Charlie]

Actually, "They are also, in many ways, in control of Israel since their votes can make or break a coalition" is innacurate.

The paper that removed the pictures of the women is an anti-zionist ultra-orthodo Jewish paper that caters to a minority of the religious Jewish population setimes called Haredim (or Haredi in the singular.) The fringe group this paper speaks to neither accept that Israel should exist, serve in the Israeli military, vote in elections or really participate in larger Israeli society.

There are religious parties in the Knesset, but their supports would not be the readers of the paper that altered this picture.

[Antonia]

Thanks for that clarification, Charlie.

So, if I understand you, you are saying that these papers are read by the ''true Torah'' Jews who are anti-Zionist? I have read about these groups.

So why would they even be in Israel?

Not that I want to launch into this discussion, I am merely musing here.

I just find religion so ... so ... ah never mind.

[Charlie]

Well, I'm not sure what you mean by "true Torah" Jews. Basically, these people believe that there should be no Jewish state prior to the coming of the messiah and in their mind, Zionism, and the existence of a Jewish state violates this religious principle. I've been in some of their neighborhoods, one known as Mea Shearim in Jerusalem in particular, and seen posters on the walls admonishing residents not to participate in Israeli Independence Day celebrations.

As for why they're in Israel, well, many of them are from Israel. They've been there for tens of generations and really cannot point to any other place that they're from. For newer arrivals, Israel is still the holiest place on earth for Jews. They may not agree with the politics, but they still want to be able to live and pray at the holiest places (to Jews) in the world.

These people are neither mainstream Jews nor mainstream Israelis. It's too bad that they receive attention disproportionate to their actual influence because of their alien customs, cloistered lifestyle and seeming "authenticity" as Jews.

[Antonia]

I was referring to groups such as this: http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com/
They call themselves ''true Torah.''

And I know that neighbourhood.
I was as enthusiastic to walk through it in my jeans and t-shirt as they would be walking through (then) Palestinian East Jerusalem.

And, like I write above, they are not typical of what I perceived to have been -- at least when I was there -- a very secular country.

[Charlie]

The site you link to is from the Satmar sect of Hassidic Judaism. Almost as extreme as you can get. If you saw Religulous with Bill Maher, at one point he walks out of an interview he tries to conduct with a Rabbi. That Rabbi was a Satmar.

I'm not sure what you mean about being enthusiastic to walk around their neighbourhood as they would be in East Jerusalem. These guys really just want to be left alone and they would rather nobody come into their neighbourhoods. I don't know why anyone would go deliberately out of their way to shock them.

As for them going to East Jerusalem, well, the only place in East Jerusalem they probably have any interest in is the Jewish quarter of the old city and the western wall. I don't think these people are really enthusiastic to leave their neighbourhoods for anything other than that.

[Antonia]

Yes, well, regular readers know how fond I am of religious extremists whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim or whatever. Thay all tend to be misogynist.

Stick around Charlie. You'll see what I mean.

Have you been in the eastern part of the old city? The Charedi climb up special stairs and travel over roofs to avoid walking in the streets where the Arabs are. At least that's the way it was in 1999 when I spent a month there. For all I know now, those neighbourhoods have been annexed by now. They were certainly on their way to being so back then, with demolitions and evictions.

As for ''deliberately'' trying to ''shock'' them, that's ridiculous. I walked all over Jerusalem, and had no idea where I was half the time. I didn't see any signs anywhere warning tourists like me to stay away or cover up from head to toe, not even at the Dome of the Rock where I did go in jeans and a t-shirt.

[Paul]

So, what did you think of Falwell in the '80's, when he was supporting the advocacy of Mackinnon and Dworkin, especially regarding obscenity and censorship? Those policies, to this day, inform our own Canadian obscenity policies regarding imported literature, and it's tantamount ot censorship (just ask Little Sisters bookstore in BC).

Mysogyny and fundamentalist zealotry. Can't say I disagree with your thesis there - it's my own. Which is why I wonder why you you ride with this gang.

[Antonia]

Which ''gang'' is that?

Where have you ever seen me cite Dworkin or Mackinnon? What do you think they would make of my ideas on prostitution and pornography, for example?

Don't you go painting feminists with one brush, Paul.

[Charlie]

I have been to East Jerusalem, several times. I must admit, I'm not familiar with the staircases you mention. If you're referring to what I think you may be describing, there are staircases built in some places so that the observant don't need to tread on sacred ground, but I'm not sure if this is what you mean.

I'm also not sure what you mean about preparing to annex East Jerusalem. East Jerusalem has been annexed since 1948. First the Jordanians annexed it, and then in the 1967 Six Day war Israel captured it and unified Jerusalem by annexing the eastern part of the city to the west, which was already under Israeli control.

As for trying to shock residents, perhaps I misinterpreted you, but you said you were enthusiastic to walk through in jeans and a t-shirt. I understood this to mean that you were enthusiastic to dress as you may dress anywhere else, even when walking through a religiously conservative neighbourhood. There are signs in English and Hebrew all over the Mea Shearim area asking visitors to please dress modestly. Perhaps I misinterpreted you.