Across Israel, more women than ever are running to become mayors or regional council heads, but places like Safed and Maalot in northern Israel are still stuck in the past and have all but erased women from their local election campaigns.
Some two months ago, a local paper – "The Northern Point" – began circulating in the town of Maalot. According to owner Avner Cohen, the paper is geared toward the city's ultra-Orthodox and secular residents alike.
However, in an election ad paid for by mayoral candidate Yossi Barda, photographs of women on his list were removed and replaced by images of similar looking robots. The men on the ticket were featured appropriately.
Barda immediately took to Facebook to decry the ad and posted a photo of him with the women running with him on his ticket.
"It was appalling. In my opinion, there was an unfortunate misunderstanding here," he told Israel Hayom. "I sent them the election ad of our team. They said they don't feature women's photos and sent me the ad they wanted to run after they completely erased the women on the list. I objected, they asked me if I preferred "images" so I said obviously. Only after the publication did I see what they meant and that they inserted [images of] robotic dolls."
The Northern Point said in response: "We apologize for the unpleasantness, and we didn't intend, heaven forbid, to offend women, rather the opposite. The paper is meant for the entire population in the area, and therefore we need to be considerate of all groups and sectors, including the haredi and religious."
Safed's sole female council member, Vicki Elkabetz, meanwhile, has had to go around town every day to replace her campaign ads that have been repeatedly torn down.
"I was in shock, it was because I was dressed in clothing deemed inappropriate or immodest," she told Israel Hayom.
