Anat Hoffman, Executive Director of IRAC
On December 6 I received an email from IRAC’s Anat Hoffman, imploring me to be more active because of what she described as a very very very bleak and unacceptable picture, bringing a bad name to the city of Jerusalem, because of the deliberate defacement of signs throughout the city. The defacements are to images of women.
According to Anat Hoffmann, the law has now stepped in as the result of the IRAC lawsuit filed in response to the defacement of the image of 95-year-old Holocaust survivor Peggy Parnes in Safra Square, in front of the Jerusalem municipal offices.
The legal ruling states that the “Municipality must work together with the police to create a plan to actively combat and prevent defacement of women’s images throughout Jerusalem. This plan must include amongst other things, the installation of security cameras to monitor areas of repeat vandalism and the hiring of workers who will respond to incidents in real time and work with the police to levy appropriate penalties”.
This outcome should be viewed as yet another victory by IRAC in relation to the fight to bring about gender equality for Israeli women. IRAC has worked so hard, particularly throughout 2021 to advance the cause of gender equality. For example, in cemeteries where gender exclusion has been practiced during funerals, on public transport and in the air by lodging complaints against gender segregation, the equal representation of women’s images in advertising and the removal of modesty signs in Bet Shemesh.
ARZA Australia congratulates IRAC and the Israeli Progressive Movement for taking the fight up to Israeli authorities in a determined effort to bring about equality for the women of Israel.
ARZA Australia will support the Progressive Appeal early next year to further the cause and support IRAC in its work in the name of equality and pluralism. We ask our members and the Australian Progressive movement to join us in this worthwhile endeavour.
Helen
Helen Shardey OAM
ARZA Australia President
UPJ Vice President