PROTEST

Israeli Women Fight Bus Segregation

Orthodox men want them to sit in back.

The confrontation between Orthodox Jews in Israel and more secular citizens is taking on shades of the American civil-rights movement. Women are making a point of sitting at the front of buses in protest of pressure by Orthodox Jews to segregate public transportation. A court ruled a year ago that forced segregation on buses was illegal, but that such an arrangement could be operated for a year on a voluntary basis. However, tensions have increased as Orthodox Jews have outgrown their traditionally insular communities and the number of segregated bus lines has grown. The issue has become a flashpoint in Israel, with repeated protests and counterprotests over segregation, and clashes in Jerusalem last week.