They think that truly hareidi women are going to phone a secular hotline to complain? Sounds like a joke to me.

In sacred places, women can't pray as they wish. It is even worse for obviously religious Jews. Despite a court order, Jews are forbidden from praying, mumbling or even nodding on the Temple Mount. If they dare try, they are arrested. Hopefully, Yuval Yavne's organization will fight for everyone's rights

The principle of men and women mixing normally in public places is accepted in all civilized societies. The politicization of public transport by some extreme Haredi sects to enforce their sexual taboos has probably produced more noise than it warrants. There has just been a clear ruling by our Courts that public transport should not be segregated. I know many Haredi families who think that this excessive segregation which has now become fashionable is self-destructive. Including the ridiculous separation of men, women and children at ultra Haredi weddings which would be a natural and "kosher" way for young singles to meet in a family setting. (I do not mean mixed dancing!)

And I detest these bus lines. I haven't attended family events when it has meant traveling by one of these lines. They're dangerous -- children run between their parents in the aisles while traveling, potentially being thrown at a sudden stop. They're dangerous -- women get on practically unmonitored through the back door. What's to stop a terrorist from joining them or slipping a package on, G-d forbid? They're sick -- who travels more often with small, carsick children? Who's generally queasier due to pregnancy? The same valiant, Jewish women that are forced to sit on the back wheel. Wrong, wrong, wrong in just so many ways.

1) Yes some Haredi women, a lot of them in fact, do it out of subservience to their husbands and not out of free choice. There is a difference between choice and free choice, a big difference. 2) Secular women also ride buses and are sometimes forced, after verbal abuse and threats, to comply with the demands of extreme zealots who have no consideration for anyone but themselves. No, it is not a joke, it is very serious. I for one will not allow these folks to run our country.

Decades ago, the Americans managed to move beyond segregated buses, with Blacks at the back. Time for Israel to learn from them.

To be a jew, one must have a jewish mother. But t is illegal in Israel for that jewish mother to carry a Torah or wear a Tallit. Why?

own buses and run their own line. Let public transport be mixed. There is no reason other than stubbornness for the orthodox not to operate their own little or big buses and be financially responsible for making a profit or not. Everyone would be served as they chose.

I live in this country, I travel in this country. I have seen haredi men take 2 seats on the bus and women having to stand.

Bunnie Meyer suggested is a good solution. One for women & one for men. Women will not have to sit in the back any longer & disputes will not take place any longer. Women will not have to stand on the bus any longer unless their bus is full. This should not be a problem.

As a secular woman living in Jerusalem I tell you that there is not such thing as an Egged bus for haredim only. These buses, where women are forced to sit at the back of the bus, like black people in the US a 100 years ago, these buses serve ALL the population. it's true that they mainly go through haredim neighbourhoods, but they also reach stops where secular people use them. Why on earth should I , a secular woman, who was raised on the values on equality at home in Israel in general, should be humiliated like that for god's sake!! what is the problem of these crazy parasites?? They have a total freedon to choose where to sit. They don't want to sit next to a woman, who forces them to?? but why do they insist on forcing me to sit where they decide I should? these parasites making me, a jewish Israeli, understand all of a sudden why there's antisemitism, in the world....

These buses are there *because* of the free market. The Mehadrin lines competed with Egged, so Egged made their own gender-separate lines to win this market. It's a free country, ride the lines you want. But don't blame the Haredim for Egged's business decision.

ynet totally sux by ignoring the real issues in Israel and publishing this nonsense small crap as front page news. The real issues are the infighting and struggles for the identity of Israel. The police and army are currently fighting "settlements" with dangerous ramifications that could lead to civil war and ynet publishes womens hopeful fight of charedi bus segregations (on all of 2 buses)

Back in '76 - before the overthrow of the Shah - I spent a few weeks in Iran. After a few days with my Jewish hosts, I went touring on my own. I was on a bus south of Esfahan when we picked up an elderly and clearly religious woman out in the countryside. The only open seat was next to me, a young man in typical western (denim) attire. She looked around then, resigned, took her seat but wrapped her chador tightly around her, then turned her face from mine. She fell asleep, and when she awoke she realized her *face* was exposed! Agitated, she proceeded to cover herself even tighter. This is the kind of mentality we're facing. The dominant ethos in Iran then - at least in the cities - was secular and modernizing. But with haredi numbers increasing, the ethos is defiantly retro, and quite disturbing. Speaking as a proud, traditional Jew, the move toward greater stringency and separation makes Jews look patently ridiculous, and more like the Taliban than not.

Lets see them do that in LA first. Amazes me how such a holy person as your self magages in LA, still better than Jerusalem isnt it !

"Please refrain from causing US to use violence against YOU," the signs said. This is a very civil way to protest. It says no matter what WE do WE are right and there is nothing we may not do, and if we do anything wrong it is YOUR fault! Makes perfect sense. I have travelled with my wife on Mehadrin Buses, and we managed very well to sit seperately. If we needed anything we used our CELL phones. This is blown way out of proportion by feminists who claim to be orthodox but who are really lacking. People who truly are committed to being orthodox do not really have problems with riding in the back of the bus, or not wearing a tallit! As one great sage said, our grandmothers were way more religious than today's women are and they felt no need to have minyonim or to wear a tallit/tefillin. And they certainly did not feel the need to resort to violence!

They already have the "Robinson Arch" where they can perform their ceremonies, but they claim some kind of "right" to disturb all the other women who wish to pray at the Kotel as they have done for centuries. There is no "obligation" for woman to wear talit at the Kotel or anywhere else, and certainly no "obligation" to harass other women who do not wish to do so. This is a completely different issue than the "mehadrin" bus lines. Do not conflate the two.

Goddamnit, I'm sick of these morons trying to do the exact same things we're pummelling the Islamofascists for doing in Iran, Saudi and elsewhere, and getting away with it!! They don't serve in the Army, they largely don't work, they are not integrated in the State of Israel in many ways, and, yet, they act as if they own the place. Doesn't ANYONE have the courage to tell them where to go (and, if necessary, usher them there)?!?

I once worked for a secular non jewish company in england as a bus driver.It was a terrible experience: men and women sitting together which led to sinful behavior ,the women were provocative and men sitting next to them began masturbating .It all came to a head and I had to use my windscreen wipers at full speed. Once of the men even missed his stop because he was distracted .All buses should be kosher,with a shofar instead of a horn ,with a mezuza at the entrance and the exhaust pipe should be circumcised.Men should sit inside and women should sit on the roof..especially in bad weather,and the driver must be well versed in talmud ,gemora and mishna.

men and women sitting next to eachother lead to sinful behavior ? Lawrence i think you will find in the real world that men and women mix freely and unlike you are perfectly capable of controling their sexual emotions. If this is a challenge for you i would suggest you get urgent medical attention as you are obviously a danger to the general public.

"There is no "obligation" for woman to wear talit at the Kotel or anywhere else" Well, that's fine. But to be a jew you must have a jewish mother and what I want to know is, why is it ILLEGAL for that jewish mother to wear the talit or to carry a Torah at the Kotel. Do you have an answer?

From the photo it seems like all the ladies decided to walk home or take a taxi. Where are the women? So sad.

In New York there is a jewish bus company called Mosey Trails. There is a gray curtain in the middle of the isle that separates men from women. Women sit on the left side & men on the right. Sometimes secular passengers use this bus line & everyone is satisfied with this jewish bus company. Why is this so hard to do in Israel? If a curtain is put in the isle women will have more choice of seats on such a bus.

Sherim. Providing separation would stop any tush pinching arabs from molesting women. Remember arab men want women to wear burkas because they can't control themselves. In LA the percentage of Jewish bus riders would be itsi bitsi tiny as we have enough money to buy cars and we have places to park them so buses are not an issue for us but thank you for thinking of us.

The Sheikh and the Imam and the Khadi all ride a donkey and their wives walk on foot behind them. Just another version of the same thing. Whether you wear a black coat or a long white gown, primitive remains primitive.

Where were you when scud missles were dropping on Tel aviv? Where were you when Haifa was attacked? Where were you when busses were being blown apart? I was in the army defending my country and you ? Shopping on Rodeo drive !

Tut tut you really have lost all sense of reality havent you. If you are attempting to insult me by calling me an arab you are mistaken. Im afraid offensive remarks against arabs only goes to show your level of mentality, and highlights how cut off from Israel you have become . How strange you feel it your moral duty to comment on every aspect of our lives here in Israel but as a jew you do not commit to eretz Israel and forsake Jerusalem to LA. Where were you when bombs were dropping, where were you when we were serving in the army laying our lives down for Israel? Shopping on Rodeo drive?, traitor jew !

I ride lots of buses in Jerusalem, and often the 'Charedi' lines. Generally, there are more women, and they "overflow" into the front, and often elderly women sit up front in the seats reservered. I have never heard anyone say Boo, or seen anything less than ordinary decorum. I have to think the cases of abuse and threats, verbal or otherwise, about which you are always ringing an alarm, are statistically insignificant.

for every mehadrin line that runs in jerusalem there are atleast 1 if not more lines of regular buses that run roughly on the same route. if you don't like the mehadrin lines than don't take them! women shouldn't complain, most of the mehadrin lines use newer buses. this means the men are squished between the first and second door. most of the windows that open are in the back & the AC usualiy works in the back just fine. about the kids running back and forth, that is the parents problem, they should control their kids. also on most of these lines noone will say anything if a husband sits with his wife in the back. also if a woman does sit in the front 8 out of 10 time noone will say anything, and if they do it is usually a gentle reminder. on the off chance that someone does make a scene, well, there are a few idiots everywhere. i can tell you from my expierence that when someone makes a scene usually there are others who tell him to shut up. did i mention that women get about 2/3 of the bus?