Bnei Brak set to implement gender segregation on two main streets — report

The Bnei Brak municipality plans to implement gender segregation on two main streets, Shlomo Hamelech and Ezra streets, by installing barriers and signage. This decision, made in accordance with the city's rabbis, aims to prevent men and women from crossing paths and may expand to other busy streets. The municipality stated that the public is committed to obeying the rabbis' instructions, which are "very clear and speak for themselves." Yael Yechieli, director of the 5050 initiative, criticized the move, calling it a "disaster of segregation" and noting that only men made the decision. This initiative follows a 2017 Supreme Court order for Beit Shemesh to remove similar modesty signs, though Bnei Brak's population is predominantly ultra-Orthodox.