"Women's rights have become a one-sided issue": the call that echoed at the election conference

At a conference held by the Emunah movement in Jerusalem for religious women ahead of the elections, calls were heard against turning women's rights into a partisan issue. Moran Zer Katzenstein (The Democrats) argued that anyone who speaks about women's rights is automatically labeled as left-wing. Pnina Tamano-Shata (Blue and White) criticized the male leadership that is leading the country into a spiral. The participants called for expanding women's representation in decision-making centers.

Yesterday (Tuesday, October 13, 2026), the Emunah movement held a conference in Jerusalem for religious women ahead of the elections under the banner "Women's Leadership on the Front Line." The conference was attended by Knesset members and candidates for the 26th Knesset from various parties, who discussed the place of women in leadership and the challenges of entering politics. Moran Zer Katzenstein (The Democrats) attacked the transformation of women's rights into a one-sided issue, noting that anyone who speaks about women's rights is automatically identified as left-wing. She warned that if the current ruling parties remain, there will be only 6-8 women represented. Pnina Tamano-Shata (Blue and White) argued that women's representation in the political arena is insufficient and that women are not present in negotiation rooms. According to her, "They are taking us into a spiral. We are abandoning leadership in these hands." Reut Ben Haim (Religious Zionism) addressed the fact that her party chairman Bezalel Smotrich did not pass a conscription law. Dr. Nechumi Yaffe (Haredi Public) reviewed the change in Haredi society since October 7. Tair Ifragan (Yashar!) presented her party's conditions for joining the government and called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to resign. MK Sharen Haskel (Israel First) shared a personal experience about the difficulty of balancing career and motherhood. Yifat Sela, chairwoman of the Emunah movement, emphasized the importance of the faith of women whose place is in decision-making centers.