“Jewish Rosa Parks” Mauled By Orthodox Men

Miriam Shear, an American-Israeli woman, was attacked by a group of Orthodox men back in November for not sitting in the back of the bus (Mehadrin) while on her way to the Western Wall. When a group of Ultra Orthodox men repeatedly asked her to move to the back of the bus, the interaction escalated with Shear calling one, a "son-of-a-bitch," or ben zona. From there. a spitting match ensued before things got downright physical.

Throughout the encounter, the other passengers called her a “stupid American” for not giving in to the man’s orders. “People blamed me for not knowing my place and not going to the back of the bus where I belong.” Yehoshua Meyer, an eyewitness on the bus, verified Shear’s account as entirely accurate. “She was badly beaten and her whole body sustained hits and kicks. She tried to fight back and no one would help her. I tried to help, but someone was stopping me from getting up. My phone’s battery was dead, so I couldn’t call the police."

Of the attack, Manila Ryce, the blogger at The Largest Minority who posted on it, said:

There’s something very ironic in the bus passengers denouncing Shear for being an American while her American tax dollars go towards supporting Israel’s oppressive system. It’s always bothered me that most Americans view Israel as a shinning beacon of democracy and hope when it’s actually the biggest violator of human rights in the Middle East. Women in Israel are second-class citizens while Arabs are third-class citizens.