Livni faceless in ultra-Orthodox press

Posted By P.J. Aroon Friday, September 26, 2008 - 4:29 PM Share

David Silverman/Getty Images

Yesterday, my esteemed colleague Josh said a lot of world leaders may not learn much about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin other than what she looks like. It turns out that ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel may not learn even that much.

The ultra-Orthodox do not publish photos of women in their newspapers due to concerns about feminine modesty. And newspapers are a prime source of information for them because they generally don't tune into television, the Internet, and most radio stations.

The prohibition on women's photos is posing a challenge for Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Reuters reports. In the wake of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's resignation, she has been asked to form a governing coalition. Securing support from the ultra-Orthodox could be tough if she remains faceless to them.

If Livni wants to reach out to the ultra-Orthodox, it looks like she'll have to meet with leaders face to face.

EXPLORE:MIDDLE EAST, MEDIA, PHOTOGRAPHS, WOMEN

(0)

HIDE COMMENTS LOGIN OR REGISTER REPORT ABUSE

Passport, FP’s flagship blog, brings you news and hidden angles on the biggest stories of the day, as well as insights and under-the-radar gems from around the world.