Summary of story from Jerusalem Post, January 6, 2011

Around 250 women took part in a flashmob in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh on Friday to protest against gender segregation in the country’s public spaces.

The women danced to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” in the city’s main square, surprising passers-by – some of whom joined in with the dancing.

The protest was organised via Facebook during the three preceding weeks. One of the organisers was local resident Miri Shalev, who says she wanted to counteract the actions of the “group of crazies” who have come to represent the city in recent months.

“We love our city and want peaceful coexistence between the different sectors of the population,” said Brenda Ganot, another protest organiser and Beit Shemesh resident. “However, we will not sit quietly and let a group of crazy extremists set the tone for our city.”

WVoN comment: Beit Shemesh has become a focal point in the ongoing national conflict about gender segregation, involving the ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jewish population, and less religious or secular Israelis (see WVoN stories here and here).

Israelis were shocked last week when a TV report showed the harassment of an eight-year-old girl by Orthodox men on her way to school in Beit Shemesh. The men spat on the girl and called her a prostitute, sparking thousands to protest on December 27 (Washington Post).

Also in Beit Shemesh on Thursday, two men were arrested on suspicion of throwing stones at non-segregated buses (Y-Net).

These are just some of a number of recent incidents in Israel that have prompted the nation to examine the real state of the relations between men and women, in a state that has long prided itself on gender equality.