At a time anti-Netanyahu Israelis celebrated ousting him after 12 years in power, official photos of the new Israeli cabinet stirred controversy as a Hebrew news website posted it blurring nine female ministers.
The B'Hadrei Haredi ultra-Orthodox news site obscures the faces of the nine women ministers of the new government.
— Jeremy Sharon (@jeremysharon) June 14, 2021
Aliyah minister Tamanu Shata "There is no connection between blurring women's faces and Judaism, but there is a connection with benighted attitudes to women." pic.twitter.com/vxVekeGKiv
The Behadrei Haredim article on the new Israeli government headed by Yamina's leader Naftali Bennett included a photo of all 27 ministers, one where figures and faces of all 9 female ministers were blurred.
Online people have attacked the ultra-orthodox website, saying that such practices show a negative image of Israeli media, especially at a time women are making remarkable success in terms of political participation.
A photo of the new Israeli government as published by religious haredi newspapers and websites.
Can someone share this with Bill Maher, the beacon of liberal values and women’s rights? Thank you. https://t.co/fx0DLqHQkO— Marwa Fatafta مروة فطافطة #SaveSheikhJarrah (@marwasf) June 14, 2021
The new Israeli government has an unprecedented nine women ministers. Here's how the government is presented in the ultra-orthodox news site. God forbid their readers should SEE a woman's FACE (or is the prohibition just on seeing the face of a woman in power?) ? pic.twitter.com/WxBDnzleXZ
— ג'סיקה - جيسيكا - Jessica ? (@JessicaMontell) June 14, 2021
In this latest Israeli government which has been formed following a historic alliance between right-wing and left-wing leaders, 33% of ministers are women. However, the Haredi website's decision to blur the nine female ministers speaks of growing conservatism in Israel.
According to the Jerusalem Post, blurring female's faces in Haredi media is relatively recent, but is not limited to Israel's Jews.
Haredi website censors Labor chief Merav Michaeli from picture of leaders of incoming coalition https://t.co/Ane9nPpDHk pic.twitter.com/7MkGXIOtHq
— Sam Sokol (@SamuelSokol) June 7, 2021
The JP also highlighted that the Israeli Haredi website had as wel blurred the face of the Labor party's leader Merav Michaeli, as she joined a coalition meeting last week, during preparations for the new Israeli government.
