Israel's Rosa Parks: Tanya Rosenblit refuses Ultra-Orthodox Haredi demand to sit in the back of bus

An Israeli woman has been thrust into the country's headlines this week after her refusal to move to the back of an Egged bus caught the imagination of the country's editors and politicians alike. Tanya Rosenblit, who works as a production assistant at news channel JN1, was off-duty at the time of the incident and traveling on private business from her Ashdod hometown to Jerusalem. Her refusal to move to the back of the bus when asked to do so by Ultra-Orthodox Haredi passengers led to an ugly confrontation which was only partially resolved by the arrival of the police. 


Despite requests to 'show respect' to the sensibilities of the Ultra-Orthodox Haredi communities along the public transport route, Rosenblit stood her ground throughout and was eventually successful in her bid to ride at the front of the bus. She then posted photos and commentary about her experience on various social networking sites, drawing an overwhelming response which soon led to a media frenzy as different Israeli TV channels and national newspapers queued up to interview the woman fast being dubbed "the Israeli Rosa Parks."


Meanwhile, Rosenblit's protest has also been officially lauded by PM Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Tzipi Livni, serving to thrust the thorny issue of gender segregation back into the headlines. Rosenblit has denied that her actions were in any way anti-religious and claims instead that her bus protest was merely a stand against extremism. As Tanya says in the video, "I didn't do anything that I wouldn't do again, and I don't think [...] I'm a hero. I think it's something that every woman and every person should do."