Does every man have a name? How street names in Israel reveal our selective memory | Weekend Special

Uri Ben David-Shahar's report on i24NEWS examines how street names in Israel reflect selective national memory, political power relations, and cultural preferences. The report reveals a sharp gender gap (ten streets named after men for every street named after a woman), the identity struggle of the Arab sector in commemorating national figures, and the political significance of renaming streets, focusing on the high-profile case of renaming part of Herzl Street in Bnei Brak.

Uri Ben David-Shahar's report on i24NEWS examines the political, social, and cultural significance of street names in Israel. The report presents the municipal mechanism behind naming, highlighting the power of local naming committees to determine who will be commemorated in the public sphere. It reveals a sharp gender gap: for every ten streets named after a man, only one is named after a woman, and presents initiatives like 'Gender Fairness in Street Naming' that try to narrow this gap. The report also addresses the identity struggle of the Arab sector, which faces difficulties in commemorating Arab national figures in mixed cities, and the processes of renaming streets, focusing on the high-profile case of renaming part of Herzl Street in Bnei Brak to 'Rabbi Shach Street' in 2001, which led to a legislative amendment. The report presents street names as an open history book reflecting power relations, ideologies, and selective memory.