Left-wing and liberal lawmakers and organizations blasted this week a private bill by Deputy Minister Avi Maoz that seeks to limit gender education in Israeli schools.
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According to the proposal, such education would be postponed until the 9th grade, and would only be conducted onward if the following special conditions have been met: the principal has confirmed in writing that he or she believes such a class is needed; the subject would only be taught by trained professionals and only if parents have been informed of the plan and 75% of them have provided written approval.
The bill blasted progressive values as "foreign" and said gender manipulation was "questioning the foundations of creation."
Head of Israel's Hoshen LGBTQ organization Mor Nahari criticized the move, saying, "Avi Maoz has clearly demonstrated yet again his LGBTQ-phobia and dangerous attitude toward queer school children. The attempt to paint the Hoshen workshops in schools as a problem – rather than a solution for the safety of the youth – is a false attempt motivated by evil and hatred."
As deputy minister, Maoz cannot propose a bill, but sources close to him said he is expected to bring the matter up with coalition members in the coming day.
Israel Hayom reached out to the Education Ministry for a statement, which said, "In matters of education, the position of [Education] Minister Yoav Kish and the ministry are decided. Deputy Minister Avi Maoz did not contact the Education Ministry and there is no intention to refer to private and theoretical bills."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a controversial bill by the Sephardi ultra-Orthodox Shas party to criminalize "inappropriate behavior" at the Western Wall will not be taken up by his government.
In a video posted to social media, Netanyahu addressed the outpouring of criticism regarding the proposed law, "I read this morning the headlines about the Kotel [Western Wall]. I would like to calm things down and clarify: The status quo of the Western Wall, which is dear to all the Jewish people, will remain exactly as it is today.
"I spoke with my colleagues in the coalition [who agreed] that the bill we're talking about won't be put up [for a vote] at this time and, if it had been put up, it wouldn't include the sections on criminal trespasses regarding clothing or musical instruments. Those sections were written 40 years ago and they're not acceptable to anyone. Therefore, the Kotel will remain exactly as it is today."
Later, Shas also distanced itself from the proposed law, saying, "We welcome the prime minister's announcement that the status quo at the Western Wall will be maintained, as it was until today. The Wall does not need any law."
The faction said it had only introduced the legislation due to a requirement by the High Court that wouldn't accept a delay in the state's response to petitions concerning the recognition of an egalitarian prayer space and mixed-gender prayer in the main plaza.
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"After the prime minister informed the heads of the political parties today that he intends to submit a response that means postponing the debate, we agreed to withdraw the bill," Shas said in a statement, adding that it "never intended to impose criminal penalties on clothing or musical instruments at the Western Wall. This is cheap demagoguery. These sections are a copy of the Western Wall regulations from 1980 and they would have been removed by the committee [before a final law on the bill]. Every sane person understands this."
The Ministerial Committee on Legislation – a coalition committee that decides whether a bill will receive government backing – had been scheduled to debate the Shas proposal on Sunday.
The legislation defined inappropriate behavior as conducting mixed prayer (men and women together), playing a musical instrument, inappropriate clothing, and smoking. Anyone who violated one of the sections would have received a six-month prison sentence or been required to pay a fine of 10,000 shekels ($2,800).
JNS.org contributed to this report.
