Guest Thinkers — May 28, 2010

West Bank Rabbi Bans Female Candidates From Local Election

The chief rabbi of a West Bank settlement decreed that women are ineligible to run for municipal office because women should only be heard through their husbands:

The chief rabbi of a West Bank settlement has prohibited women from standing in a local community election.

Rabbi Elyakim Levanon of the Elon Moreh settlement, near Nablus, said women lacked the authority to stand for the post of local secretary.

He wrote in a community newspaper that women must only be heard through their husbands. [BBC]

WWGMD? Or, what would Golda Meir do?

It’s not clear from the story whether the rabbi’s injunction carries any legal weight, or whether he’s just expressing his opinion. According to the headline, he banned women from the election–which seems to imply that he has some official power to keep them out. I certainly hope he doesn’t.

Photo credit: zeevveez, Creative Commons.

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