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Israel

Battle in Jerusalem to keep poster women visible

November 17, 2011 12:43
A poster for the \"Uncensored\" campaign against Orthodox censorship in Jerusalem is itself vandalised
1 min read

Nir Barkat, mayor of Jerusalem, ordered the Jerusalem District police commissioner last week to crack down on a growing phenomenon: the vandalism of posters depicting women.

Billboards and adverts featuring women have become a rare sight in Israel's capital because they are habitually defaced and torn down within hours by strictly-Orthodox activists.

As a result of the activists' relentless campaigning, advertisers are now falling into line with their wishes.

The National Road Safety Authority promoted the Jerusalem Light Railway using images of men and boys only. And Adi, the national organ transplant centre, removed images of women from its campaign in Jerusalem this month after receiving threats.