Women expelled from Ein Itamar spring: 'They called me a whore in front of my husband and children'

The Ein Itamar spring in the Jerusalem hills has become a flashpoint this summer between a group of religious men and women seeking to bathe there. Led by Sharon Kalimi, the men demand women leave so they can bathe naked before Shabbat, using threats, curses, and physical violence. Galit Atzion, a Jerusalem resident leading the struggle, describes repeated harassment: 'They called me a whore and a slut in front of my husband and children.' Deputy Mayor Yossi Havilio condemned the conduct and called for police intervention. Prof. Orna Koperman links the events to a broader trend of excluding women from public spaces. The clashes resumed after eight years of relative calm, and the Jerusalem activists refuse to give up.

The Ein Itamar spring in the Jerusalem hills has become a flashpoint this summer between a group of religious men and women seeking to bathe there. Led by Sharon Kalimi, the men demand women leave so they can bathe naked before Shabbat, using threats, curses, and physical violence. Galit Atzion, a Jerusalem resident leading the struggle, describes repeated harassment: 'They called me a whore and a slut in front of my husband and children.' Deputy Mayor Yossi Havilio arrived at the scene and called for significant police intervention: 'It is unacceptable that an extremist Haredi group controls the springs.' Prof. Orna Koperman links the events to a broader trend of excluding women from public spaces. The clashes resumed after eight years of relative calm, and the Jerusalem activists refuse to give up.

Women expelled from Ein Itamar spring: 'They called me a whore in front of my husband and children'