Meretz leader Zehava Gal-On on Tuesday called on Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich and Petah Tikva Mayor Uri Ohad to prevent gender segregation on the streets of Petah Tikva during a Simchat Beit Hashoeivah event scheduled for Thursday.
Simchat Beit Hasoeivah is celebrated during the intermediate days of the Sukkot holiday.
During the Petah Tikva event, which will be held in the heart of the central Israeli city, certain streets will be open to men only, while others will be open only to women.
Gal-On, a Petah Tikva resident herself, wrote on Tuesday to Aharonovich and Ohad, saying, "Creating separation between men and women in the streets of Petah Tikva is the exclusion of women in public space. This is prohibited and illegitimate discrimination, even if its origin is religious commandments or sensitivities of a religious nature."
Her message continued: "Closing certain streets to men and others to women contradicts High Court of Justice rulings and violates principles of equality, right to dignity, right to liberty and freedom of religion and conscious."
"Not only are the Petah Tikva Municipality and Israel Police allowing this separation, they are providing support for it and taking an active role in it. Do they see High Court of Justice rulings as just recommendations-"