Reserve Soldier Compelled Off Egged Bus Receives 30,000 Shekel Payout
An Israeli reserve soldier forced off an Egged bus in Jerusalem for ultra-orthodox female students will receive 30,000 shekels in a discrimination settlement.
A reserve soldier in Israel was forced off an Egged public bus after being told the vehicle was reserved exclusively for ultra-orthodox female students. The incident, which occurred in Jerusalem on Yom Hazikaron, led to a legal settlement in which Egged agreed to pay the soldier 30,000 shekels in compensation.
The soldier, identified as A., recounted that he was dressed in uniform and heading to his base when he attempted to board bus route 845. According to his account, the driver signaled him not to enter, and upon boarding through the rear door, he discovered the bus was filled with female students who told him he had to leave because the vehicle was supposedly a private school transport.
Legal Action and Company Response
Represented by the Israel Religious Action Center, A. decided to take legal action, pointing out that many citizens experience similar discrimination daily and choose not to fight it. This follows a similar incident nine months ago in Haifa, where passenger Saar Koren was forced off an Egged bus under similar pretexts, resulting in a 40,000 shekel settlement.
In response, Egged issued a statement condemning the incident as severe and contrary to company values and regulations, emphasizing that all its routes are open to the general public without discrimination and that guidelines have been reinforced among all drivers.
