Jewish Scene
Ashdod: Beach segregation angers secular bathers
Neri Brenner
Published: 15.08.12, 08:04
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38 Talkbacks for this article
1. B"H - Seculars Want Everything For Themselves
Ariel Ben Yochanan ,   Kfar Tapuah, Efraim   (08.15.12)
2. not so different
monk ,   israel   (08.15.12)
the internet is swarmed with muslim women who go into the water with all their clothes on. from this article you can see that religious jews and muslims really arent so different after all. unfortunately people like me (secular) think you are all crazy. and with all do respect if you cant handle looking at females sun tanning then dont go to the beach. go to a designated pool just for you where everyone goes swimming in their nasty trousers
3. Another instance of
P:aul ,   Jerusalem   (08.15.12)
1) promoting the paranoid notions that Religious Jews want to minimize the rights of the secular 2) progressive, liberal, secular, live and let live adherents sickened by the presence of the Religious. Blowing the notion that 'Modern Liberals' are the tolerant ones and religious people are like the Taliban. 3) the secular pleading 'religious coercion' whenever the Religious poke their heads out of the Shtiels.
4. It's not resident's that are enraged
Ephraim ,   Tapuah   (08.15.12)
It's the anti-religious demagogues at Yediot Achronot who are once again enflaming against the religious. Why can't religious citizens have a right to go to the beach? It's like 100 meters of beach they took, out of kilometers. Let live!
5. Religous Jews & Arabs 50% of popultsn
DemographicReality ,   Jerusalem Israel   (08.15.12)
50% of the population of the State of Israel will be very happy for this possibility get real the demographic reality is changing and not all people even secular t want to be in the presence of near naked people they have rights too.. Todays Israeli population has adopted such extreme imodest dress codes there should be an alternative.
6. Anti-religious Elizabeth Kadosh should change her name
Samuel   (08.15.12)
to Elizabeth Sacrilegious.
7. journalistic practices
Ilan   (08.15.12)
Wouldn't it be more useful to look at the court order or to query the city council rather than asking what the bathers think was the reason. What days did the author attend class?
8. Women's right to privacy
Danny ,   London England   (08.15.12)
The point of the separation is that religious women shouldn't have men watching them. For years my wife was a lifesaver and swimming coach for women only bathing. Our local sports facilities in London schedule single sex bathing because many women of all backgrounds want a bit of privacy. In terms of the beach privacy may require a certain distance. In many USA resorts the beach front hotels own their piece of beach for residents only. I haven't heard too many protests.
9. Number 6. Kodesh and Kadosh
Sherlock Holmes ,   London England   (08.15.12)
There are several related words with the same Hebrew root. Consecrated or 'set aside' does not always have a positive meaning.
10. Number 7. Ask the Council
Joseph ,   London UK   (08.15.12)
The author does give the Council the right of reply and they do offer their view. The writer tries to give time for both sides to explain their views. What should be exp-lained is how long is the beach and what % is segregated. Is the beach very small and overcrowded?
11. Your views and culture does not allow you to harm others
Avi   (08.15.12)
This is harms 2 issues. First, a public beach is regulated by law and is open to all Israeli citizens. This illegally restricts more than half of the population from using that part of the beach. The municipality as no legal authority for this decision (and certainly a retarded one considering the public storm there is currently). Secondly this is discrimination based on sex which is illegal under the law. Your views and culture are your own and it must not harm or influence anyone else but you. Certainly more so if it's against the law.
12. Unfair!
Yehuda ,   Ashdod   (08.15.12)
Yes, it is unfair that the religious population of Ashdod only gets a small strip of the beach, whereas the 'seculars' get the rest of it. How about giving the religious population their fair share of the beach - about 25% of it, based on the population of Ashdod, instead of the maybe 5% alloted? Stop looking for trouble where there isn't any!
13. Liberals are idiots
Shalom ,   Ashdod, IL   (08.15.12)
when they want to do something then the whole world has to join them. They have MILES of beach in Ashdod but the only part that is burning them is the few meters that people who are interested in modesty use. Tomorrow, these idiot liberals might decide they want to bathe in the nude, would that then mean that we have to follow their stupid notion? In addition, Miss Kadosh, please change your name since there is nothing kadosh about what you are saying.
14. Elizabeth Profane should move to Tel Aviv
Samuel   (08.15.12)
15. How about...
Elad Lending ,   Yahel, Israel   (08.15.12)
making the existing fence opaque, rather than see-through? Wouldn't that do the trick?
16. The laid-back liberals,and feminists amongst us
miriam ,   Jerusalem   (08.15.12)
need to realize that everything moral, and in this case, Modesty, is not limited to the realm of the religious. It is in fact still a noble quality among the few and descent.
17. you are just like the turks
gingimax ,   istanbul turkey   (08.15.12)
who are building fences and ruining beaches so that the religious will keep on voting panderers into office
18. what is wrong with separated beaches?
Larry ,   Los Angeles   (08.15.12)
Is this not a democracy that caters to all people? is there no beach for the mixed bathers? do all beaches have to be mixed? is there no room to accommodate segregated beaches, men on one side and women on the other? Pheh to these narrow minded people who think the world is theirs!
19. In related news, Israel has the World's first time machine!
Jasmine ,   Nachlaot, Jerusalem   (08.15.12)
Seems that Israel has a working time machine taking us at least to the past. Segregation is not only in our schools between Jews and Arabs, secular and religious, but also spreads to recreational areas (at least between the second set) ... and the government is more than happy to not only continue it, but expand it.
20. #15: No Elad it won't!
David ,   Karmiel, Israel   (08.15.12)
The real issue is, once again, relgious coercion and nothing else! Its all very well for the Haredim to tell the rest of us how to live, who we may love and marry, where and when we can eat and when an where we can travel but the momnet they are criticized they blame everything on the "secular" who built this country, died and are still dying for it. A sad fact is that the Haredim are winning. Logic, reason and live and let live have given way to hatred, Jew hating Jew and this, nevermind Iran, the growing worldwide hatred of Jews and Israel and Arab beligerence within and without, is what will destroy Israel and the Jewish people. The solution, well, there isn't one becuase we have a Government and a paranoid, obsessive Prime Minister whose "reign"is built on division and "divide and rule".
21. seems Israel turns more and more into Iran!
Ze'ev ,   Nbg, germany   (08.15.12)
Israel becomes more and more extrem, sad to see that. The religious exremists are leading israel to the way of selfdestruction!
22. There is already a separate beach - right?
rebecca ,   Modiin   (08.15.12)
And the size of the separate beach is not changing. Just another no-go area has been added? Why not just make sure the wall between the religious and non-religious beaches is solid and does not let anyone see thru it? BTW no one should swim in there clothes - there are numerous modest swim suits available these days. Far more modest than wet T shirts.
23. I am all for segregation
Raptor   (08.15.12)
All the black hats to New York and all the normal people stay here and turn this country into a normative society.
24. Secular beaches, religious beaches...Why no nudist beaches?
Berk ,   Amsterdam, Holland   (08.15.12)
Can't wait to visit the very first official nudist beach in Israel!
25. #23 I Think it will be U that goes to NY
NakedIsrael ,   Jerusalem Israel   (08.15.12)
The demographics here are moving so fast in favor of religious Jews Haredi National religious and Traditional that you will in a matter of ony a few years be the minority with your excessive self distructive lifestyle and the healthy religious Jew will replace you here.
26. Israel handing itself to fanatics
Dan   (08.16.12)
First we allowed these fundamentalists to have many public streets. Then they started taking over the bus system. Then El Al started moving women away from Haredi men upon request. Now beaches. Draw a line somewhere Israel, or become a lunatic Haredi nation.
27. No, everyonecan share secular beach; haredim hate sharing
Dan   (08.16.12)
28. Why are haredim loafing on beaches instead of studying Torah
Dr. L. Brnd ,   San Diego, USA   (08.16.12)
We have ultraorthodix black hata in the USA, and we don't put up with their crap or their demands for segragated beaches and buses because it violates our law. Israel should have the same laws as the US, preventing insulting bigoted behavior like "segragated" beaches. Let the haredim assign modesty police to their beach areas to arrest any haredi who looks at a secular bather for lewd behavior, and leave the rest of the beach visitors alone. If the haredim want a private beach, they can purchase it for fair market value, not STEAL it from the working public who need rest and leisure. time.
29. Fences make good neibors
Norman Gellman ,   Rehovot   (08.16.12)
I don’t agree with the Haridi concept of modesty and separation of the sexes. However, if Ashdod wishes to cater to their 16th century outlook Ashdod should build a fence instead of reducing the beach area for others.
30. @25 should israel really turn into such a...
Ze'ev ,   Nbg, germany   (08.16.12)
...national religious/ultra orthodox state, than the danger is hudge that Israel will get destroyed, because such a state will have no friends in the western world anymore. Than Israel will stand really alone and will fall. I pray that that never will happen!
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