Egged: Yerushalayim Buses Won’t Feature Men or Women

The Egged bus company in conjunction with the Canaan Media advertising company has decided to no longer use any pictures of people – men or women – in bus ads in Yerushalayim.

The so-called “Yerushalmim Movement” had appealed eight months ag to the Supreme Court regarding using photos of females in ad campaigns on buses. Yerushalmim is led by Uri Ayalon and says that its aim is to promote pluralism in Yerushalayim. It wished to force Egged and Canaan Media to display its ad campaign featuring photos of women and the slogans “Yerushalayim women, pleased to meet you,” and “Because Yerushalayim belongs to all of us.”

Canaan Media first said that it would begin its campaign, but then  it delayed it because of a supposed need to lengthen the sleeves of the women in the ads.

In the end, Egged has decided not to use any photos of people, both male and female, in bus advertisements.

In addition, Egged’s marketing manager, Eyal Yechiel stated that Yerushalayim-area advertising will be only on the backs of buses and there will be no ads on the sides of buses.

While in Yerushalayim, no people will be in ads, that won’t be the case in other parts of Eretz Yisroel.

Canaan Media has blamed the decision of fear that “photos of women would prompt vandalism of the buses.”

“The agreement displays no discrimination against men or women,” averred Ron Retner, a spokesperson for Egged. “…it was decided that advertisements will be featured only on the backs of buses, without any people, in order to avoid unnecessary arguments and discord.”

{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}