Precedent: Beit Shemesh municipality will compensate the affected women

Around the city of Beit Shemesh posted signs calling for women to dress modestly for getting to the main street in town. The ruling issued today (Sunday) in reference to the claim of four women living in the city who claimed that Beit Shemesh Municipality Mayor compensate them for such respect humiliation and damage caused to them due to not having acted as required to remove the signs.

Judge David Gidoni Beit Shemesh Court accepted the case and ordered the Mayor Moshe Abutbul and Beit Shemesh municipality to pay each of the plaintiffs a total of NIS 15,000 (total of NIS 60,000). Also bear expenses of plaintiffs and defendants legal fees in the amount of NIS 8,000.

Four women, Nili Philippe, Eve Finkelstein, Miriam Sussman and Rachel Schloss, filed a lawsuit by attorney Orly Erez-Likhovski, against the Municipality of Beit Shemesh and its leader Moshe Abutbul. Plaintiffs defined as modern Orthodox. They argue that the signs calling for women to dress modestly or not go through some sidewalks, causes them distress and cause them severe feelings of humiliation and insult because they are required to dress in a certain way as a condition we left the main streets of the city where they live or not to use the sidewalks in some places.

Each plaintiff also testified that over the years has experienced a significant number of violent incidents committed in light of ultra-Orthodox men since they were not dressed modestly enough in the eyes of those who used violence towards her, and so close to the places where signs are posted.

Including the plaintiffs were victims of many events that made threats and curses at them, regaling us with insults such as "shiksa" and "frotzh ", spat on them, and on several occasions threw stones at them, tomatoes or eggs. In this situation, the plaintiffs testified that they are traveling via the back roads and avoid entering areas where signs are posted - areas that have made them to out of bounds "- in order not to see the signs humiliating and to avoid hard feelings as well as physical injury.

Some of the plaintiff filed complaints in connection with violent incidents and injuries experienced. These complaints have not led to criminal charges. At the same time the plaintiffs also turned to Beit Shemesh municipality mayor and demanded that he remove the signs.

But leads to no avail. Defendants have not taken any concrete steps to remove the signs, other than the specific activity at a specific time in relation to signs placed near a synagogue. The signs were in place.

Against this background, the plaintiffs filed the lawsuit. The suit was filed against the city; against Mr. Abutbul - mayor. The case against the mayor filed as part of his duties and powers traditions in connection with the signs within the city. The plaintiffs claimed that the defendant's conduct amounts to negligence and breach of statutory duty. Plaintiffs also originally petitioned for an injunction directing the defendants to immediately remove the signs and for pecuniary damages incurred as a result, they claim they were forced to avoid the areas where signs are posted. Later returned to the plaintiffs prevail where these remedies and prosecution remained intact but the relative relief of damages for non-pecuniary damages - anguish, humiliation and violation of dignity - sustained by the plaintiff because the signs and because of failure to remove them.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!