Women outraged MK Ben-Ari 'would prefer to employ man'

National Union member of Knesset says, 'I prefer his month in reserves to her six month maternity leave.' Women's rights lobby claims, 'He is making call for women in their fertile years and mothers.' MK Ben-Ari calls campaign blood libel: I support women's rights.'

Amnon Meranda|Published: 12.03.09 , 15:26

Member of Knesset Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) evoked the fury of many women, but claims his statements criticizing a bill to amend the maternity leave law were misunderstood. The Israel Women's Network filed a complaint Thursday with the attorney general and the Knesset Ethics Committee demanding that the National Union MK be investigated for inciting to discriminate against women.

The women's group is up in arms about statements made Wednesday by MK Ben-Ari in the Knesset plenum during a discussion of a bill that would allow a women's maternity leave to be extended, but at her own expense.

MK Ben-Ari said Wednesday, "Then the other shoe dropped. The next time a woman comes to me and a man comes to me, I will prefer his month of reserve duty, which I know how to handle, over the half a year (of maternity leave), during which the office either collapses or I have to find a better replacement.

"With all the sorrow of parting from a child, either hire a nanny at home or send the child to day-care and return to the place at which you committed to work faithfully. The workplace is something that needs to be respected as well, not disregarded."

IWN asked Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to impose stiff sanctions on MK Ben-Ari following his statements. "In actuality, MK Ben-Ari is calling straight out for all employers in the economy, by giving a personal example, not to employ women during their fertile years and not to employ mothers," said the lobby group.

'I support women's rights'

According to the head of IWN's legal department, Attorney Shirley Shlomyuk-Babai, MK Ben-Ari's statements are a flagrant breach of Knesset members' code of ethics, which, in accordance with the Knesset rules of procedure, obligates MKs to act appropriately.

In her complaint to Mazuz, the legal advisor wrote, "This grave statement and the testimony he gave about his conduct in his professional and personal life was made in complete violation of the standing orders and must be investigated and clarified urgently in order to prevent additional violations and to prevent damage to the broadest group of women and young families for whom the lack of a woman wage-earner would likely severely damage them as well."

In response, MK Ben-Ari said to Ynet, "I am, first and foremost, for women's rights and respect. However, the bill that seeks to extend maternity leave is a populist one. The government is not spending a shekel for the law, and this ultimately will not have a positive outcome for women because our society is competitive. In my opinion, the world of the job market is cruel, and this will cause employers to prefer men over women. Out of this concern I am opposed to the law. If the women think that I am will come out in favor of women out of fear, they are mistaken."

The MK added, "I intend to issue a slander suit against these women's groups at the start of next week for this blood libel. In no place have I ever called for women not to be employed. The women's network's desire to avoid real dialogue and instead deal in mudslinging is very worrisome."