The Israel Airport Authority drew criticism Tuesday after it refused to run an ad campaign protesting potential discrimination against female passengers.
The ad, by the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, advises women that it is illegal for flight attendants to force them to switch seats to accommodate ultra-Orthodox men who out of religious beliefs wish to avoid being in close proximity to women other than their wives.
Such incidents often happen on flights by El Al, Israel's national carrier.
The airline says it tries to accommodate ultra-Orthodox men but never pressures women to consent to a seat swap request. However, it lost a lawsuit filed against it by a female passenger over this issue last year.
The court ruled that asking a female passenger to switch seats because an Orthodox man does not wish to sit next to her is illegal.
The ad is titled "Ladies, please take your seat ... and keep it!" and continues, "Requiring a passenger to switch seats because of their gender is illegal. A flight attendant may not force you to switch seats to avoid mixed seating."
The Israel Airport Authority refused to allow the Reform movement to place the ads throughout Ben-Gurion International Airport, saying it does not allow religious or political advertising at the airport. Media reports noted that the IAA has said it will be reviewing its policies to allow such advertising in the future.
Noa Sattath, the director of the Reform movement's local advocacy arm, told Army Radio Tuesday, "This is a campaign that we have been running for several years. If someone feels that strongly about sitting only next to a man, they should make the necessary arrangements ahead of time."
IAA spokesman Ofer Lefler admitted that privately he agrees with the campaign's message, but said, "The airport should be left out of political and religious disputes."
