Attorney General says segregated events OK in certain situations

Published: 27 August 2019

Last updated: 4 March 2024

Avichai Mandelblit issues guidelines for local authorities, saying separation permissible if it is desired by target audience and conditions for men and women are equal

ATTORNEY GENERAL AVICHAI Mandelblit has said that local authorities could organize gender-segregated cultural events under certain circumstances.

Mandelblit published guidelines for authorities saying that gender-segregation could be permissible if the separation were voluntary and desired by the target audience, men and women had equal conditions, and separation did not unduly impact those opposed to it.

“The greater the voluntary component, the less the difficulty in gender segregation, and when it comes to a completely voluntary segregation in which every person chooses his place without being directed, there is no difficulty,” Mandelblit said.

The release of the guidelines followed a special meeting on the subject with legal officials, and after a gender-segregated concert at a public park in Afula earlier this month forced the controversial arrangement into Israel’s headlines.

FULL STORY Attorney General: Gender-segregated events okay under certain circumstances (Times of Israel)

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EDITORIAL: Civil servants can't allow gender segregation in Israel (Haaretz)
Photo: Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit attends a conference at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan on March 28 (Flash90)