In a unanimous vote by the Israeli Knesset, a law was passed that women who are pregnant need not wait in line wherever public service is provided.
The law was inspired by MK Yousef Jabareen when he was travelling abroad with his wife. While they hesitated to stand in long lines on vacation, they were pleasantly surprised when they were told they didn’t have to wait – and that it’s the law.
Now in Israel, the Women’s Equal Rights Law, stated in 1951, was amended to include that public service providers must allow women who are pregnant immediate service. They will be able to ask for proof that a woman is pregnant, and women will need to provide documentation in order to skip the line.
From supermarkets to banks to post offices, lines in Israel can be exhausting and somewhat nonexistent. This law offers a way to show respect for women’s pregnant bodies, a hopeful and simple start when it comes to respecting women’s bodies and the life within them, in general.
