Vandalized sign
Photo: Ran Yedai
'Immodest' signs vandalized in Ashkelon
City residents surprised to discover someone 'censored' signs featuring pictures of models hanging across city with generous amounts of paint. City's religious groups deny involvement
Signs featuring pictures of models have been vandalized in the city of Ashkelon in recent days. The city's residents believe that haredi groups were responsible for covering the signs with generous amounts of paint.
"These are sick people, who walk around with a bucket and a paintbrush and just paint the signs, causing us huge damage.
The signs' franchiser, Yossi Pertok, was furious over the incident.
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"I am angry because the signs did not show any exposed organ or immodest picture. We were very strict about it, and when we had the slightest doubt we preferred not to put up these pictures," he said.
One of the vandalized signs. Where's the model? (Photo: Ran Yedai)
Pertok, like many other residents, believes that strictly Orthodox groups offended by the pictures were behind the act.
"I told the municipality that if this phenomenon does not stop we will have a fanatic city," he said.
Religious groups in the city said that they had nothing to do with the sign destruction. Amram Ben David, a city council member on behalf of the National Religious Party, denied involvement and said that he did not support violence.
"Nonetheless, I plan to deal with the issue using the most legal means, and there are quite a lot of ways to do so. I am referring to removing all those signs of abomination in our city. The situation is getting worse and the religious public is not the only one complaining about it, but also the secular public."
A number of months ago unknown people found a different way of dealing with such "immodest" signs by posting stickers on the models' private parts.
