Israel’s High Court of Justice postpones arrest warrants against 22 mothers guilty of contempt of court for refusing to send their daughters to integrated classes. “Not a drop of racism” but there “is a set of rules” to respect, parents say. More than 100,000 Haredi invade the streets of Jerusalem in their support.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Israel’s High Court of Justice on Friday morning postponed the implementation of arrest warrants to Sunday for 22 Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) mothers who refused to send their daughters to classes with less observant girls. The case has led the largest public demonstration by Haredi in Israel’s history (more than 100,000 according to police) after 35 men began two-week jail terms for contempt of court over discriminatory practices involving their daughters.

The controversy, which is being followed with passion by a divided Jewish public opinion and not only in Israel, stems from the refusal of parents of Ashkenazi (European) descent at an all girls' school to let their daughters study with classmates of Middle Eastern and North African descent, known as Sephardim.

The Ashkenazi parents insist that they are not racist, but want to keep the classrooms segregated—as they have been for years—on the grounds that the Sephardic families of are not religious enough.

The Supreme Court has rejected that argument and ruled in favour of integration.

Yakov Litzman, an lawmaker from the ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi party, United Torah Judaism (UTJ), told army radio there was "not a drop of racism" in the parents' decision,

"There is a set of rules [in the ultra-Orthodox community]. We don't want televisions in the home, there are rules of modesty; we are against the internet. [. . .] I don't want my daughter to be educated with a girl who has a TV at home,” he explained.

The Court did not see it that way and ordered classes to be integrated, and faced with parents’ refusal, charged and convicted both parents, ordering them to serve their sentence on rotation so that the girls would not be left without a parent.

Haredi responded to the court ruling by accompanying the fathers to jail and by invading the streets of Jerusalem, claiming the parents’ right to decide whether their daughters should be educated separately or not.

“I am going to jail with great excitement and joy over the support we've received,” one father said, because “We are making sure our children get the best education possible."

Overall, the demonstration was peaceful even though some marchers brandished banners saying, "The Supreme Court is fascist” and one protester told the crow, "We are strong because God is with us."

However, some Ashkenazi protesters tried to attack Sephardic Rabbi Ya'akov Yosef, a leading figure against segregation.

• israel
• jerusalem
• haredi
• ultra-orthodox
• separate
• schools
• daughters
• ashkenazi
• sephardic
• racism
• contempt
• of
• court