These days it looks like Israel is closer than ever to a culture war between two ideological groups: liberals and the ultra-Orthodox. In its most recent iteration, the conflict pits liberal groups headed by feminist organizations who opposed a concert in Afula with separate seating for men and women and the ultra-Orthodox, who insisted that the concert must have complete gender separation. Their stubborn rivalry highlights the gap separating these two groups, both of which are trying to reshape the public space in accordance with their ideals.
The women's equal rights law was adopted by the Knesset in 1951, but it is not fully implemented. The current public debate could revive the issue to shape the character of the state of Israel and respect all its communities.
For the past few years, certain parts of the ultra-Orthodox community have been struggling to reshape public spaces in Israel in accordance with what they consider to be the values of a Jewish state. These disputes surround efforts to force total Sabbath observance on the public space and prevent the public sale of leavened bread before Passover, for example. The ultra-Orthodox claim that they are not trying to interfere with the personal choices of private citizens. Rather, they want to shape the appearance of the public space to ensure that it is in accord with what one would expect from a Jewish state.
In a mirror image of this view, liberal groups are now trying to force the ultra-Orthodox to adopt behaviors that are not in accord with their lifestyle. For instance, they tried to force Afula to host the concert without any gender separation. The ultra-Orthodox community is used to separation of this sort from a very young age. It is present in synagogues and at weddings — in fact, in any gathering that includes more than the extended family. Insistence on preventing the ultra-Orthodox from having gender separation of this kind in the public space, even if the only people in that space are ultra-Orthodox, reflects a desire to shape that space to reflect liberal values.
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