Against the backdrop of an "Equality and Democracy" sign: men and women were separated at a "Yashar!" party home gathering

A home gathering held by the "Yashar!" party of Gadi Eizenkot in Daliyat al-Karmel, with the participation of former Shin Bet head Yoram Cohen and the Druze candidate Major General (res.) Kamil Abu Rukun, sought to address the future of the Druze society, security, education, and social challenges. However, one photo from the event sparked a different kind of criticism: women and men sitting on two separate sides, with a white fence between them.

According to the publication by the event organizers, the meeting was held yesterday evening in the largest Druze local council in Israel on Mount Carmel. During the home gathering, a conversation took place with Cohen about the security reality and how the Druze society can influence its future. A photo taken during the meeting drew attention for a reason unrelated to the issues raised for discussion at the meeting. In the photo, men are seen sitting on the right side of the area, women on the left, and a white fence separates them.

The segregation sparked criticism online, mainly against the backdrop of the fact that the "Yashar!" party presents itself as a party that seeks to promote equality and appeals to the entire Israeli public, which includes the Druze society. However, this time the question is not only why the fence was placed, but also why in the same political space, apparently, a different reality exists at other events.

Parallel to the "Yashar!" home gathering, another political conference was held in Daliyat al-Karmel by the Druze party "Brit Achim," led by Colonel (res.) Wajdi Sarhan, where there was no segregation between women and men, and the participants sat together in the same space. The comparison sharpens the question precisely around the "Yashar!" event: if it is possible to hold a home gathering in the Druze society, in the same town and at the same time, without separating women and men - why was a seating arrangement with gender segregation chosen at the home gathering of a party that emphasizes the value of equality?

The lively discourse on social media and the criticism directed at "Yashar!" does not refer only to the chair arrangement itself, but to the broader question regarding the place of women in the public and political space. While the party boasts of equality, it is difficult to ignore the gap between the message and a picture in which women and men do not sit together as equal participants in the same space.

Shahrazad Hasson, a jurist, activist, graduate of the Mandel program, and resident of Daliyat al-Karmel, said in response:

"It is outrageous to see parties that hold the banner of equality and democracy bending and adapting themselves to social norms that have passed from the world under the guise of cultural adaptation. We, the Druze women who have succeeded in every arena except the political arena, need those parties to open the door for us, not to agree to meet with Druze representatives without asking where the Druze women are. We need them to speak to us without mediation, directly, to ask what our needs are, not to set aside the banner of gender equality when they visit our districts."

We contacted the "Yashar!" party for a response, but it was not provided by the time of the article's publication.