Editing Beit Shemesh (section)

== Communal tensions ==
As of 2024, Beit Shemesh is a thriving city with a mainly [[Haredi Judaism|Haredi]] population, as well as a [[Religious Zionism|Dati Leumi]] minority.  The growing pains of communal tensions of two decades ago have faded since the efforts of the last two mayors: Moshe Abutbul who now is a Knesset member and Aliza Bloch, the former mayor. Beit Shemesh is considered a religious, family-oriented city where children can walk safely and freely both day and night in all parts of the city under the current leadership of Shmuel Greenberg.

In 2004 the Israel Association of Ethiopian Jews claimed that Ethiopian Jews working for the municipality were being paid below-minimum wages.<ref>{{cite news |date=27 December 2004 |title=Beit shemesh program pays Ethiopian immigrants less than minimum wage |newspaper=[[Haaretz]] |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/beit-shemesh-program-pays-ethiopian-immigrants-less-than-minimum-wage-1.145260 |url-status=live |access-date=18 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216012224/http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/beit-shemesh-program-pays-ethiopian-immigrants-less-than-minimum-wage-1.145260 |archive-date=16 December 2014 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2011, the Association criticized the referral of Ethiopian Jews to three private pre-schools run by the mayor's wife.<ref>{{cite news |date=13 December 2011 |title=NGO report demands end to segregation of Ethiopian students |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |url=http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=249226 |url-status=live |access-date=18 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111218030628/http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=249226 |archive-date=18 December 2011 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

According to ''The Jerusalem Post'', women who belong to a [[Haredi burqa sect]] in Beit Shemesh were ostracized by the Haredi community.<ref name="JP96228">{{cite web|url = http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=96228|title = Beit Shemesh 'Burka' cult unveiled|author = Matthew Wagner|work= Jerusalem Post|date= 2008-03-27|accessdate=2012-01-16}}</ref> The leader of the movement, dubbed the "Taliban mother" by the Israeli press, was convicted by the Jerusalem District Court in 2009 on three counts of abuse of a minor and 25 counts of assault in aggravated circumstances, and sentenced to four years in prison. Her husband was also convicted of 10 counts of assault and three counts of abuse of a minor or helpless person, and was sentenced to six months in jail.<ref>
{{cite web|url = http://www.haaretz.co.il/news/law/1.1263609|title = The Trial of "Mother Taliban"|author = Rotem, Tamar|work = Haaretz|date = 1 June 2009|language = he|access-date = 16 January 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120619191251/http://www.haaretz.co.il/news/law/1.1263609|archive-date = 19 June 2012|url-status = live|df = dmy-all}}
</ref><ref>
{{Cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/abusive-haredi-taliban-mother-gets-four-years-in-prison-1.4859 |title=Abusive Haredi 'Taliban mother' gets four years in prison |newspaper=Haaretz |access-date=15 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216012228/http://www.haaretz.com/news/abusive-haredi-taliban-mother-gets-four-years-in-prison-1.4859 |archive-date=16 December 2014 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}
</ref>

In 2011, conflicts erupted in Beit Shemesh between extremist [[Antireligion|anti-religious activists]] and devout [[Haredi Judaism|Haredi]] men, possibly members of a group known as the [[Sikrikim]],<ref name="crosscurrents">
{{cite web|title=They will come for you too|url=http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2011/12/30/they-will-come-for-you-too/|publisher=Cross Currents|date=30 December 2011|access-date=1 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108054515/http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2011/12/30/they-will-come-for-you-too/|archive-date=8 January 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}
</ref><ref name="forward_bs">
{{cite web|title=American enclave stands up to extremists|url=http://www.forward.com/articles/148763/?p=all|work=The Jewish Daily Forward|date=29 December 2011|access-date=1 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108202523/http://www.forward.com/articles/148763/?p=all|archive-date=8 January 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}
</ref><ref name="jewpress_bs">
{{cite web|title=Beit Shemesh becomes focus point over growing outrage over violent religious extremism|quote=8-year-old Na’ama Margolis, the daughter of Orthodox American immigrants, was spat on by a member of the Sikrikim|url=http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/beit-shemesh-becomes-focus-of-growing-outrage-over-violent-religious-extremism/2011/12/28/|publisher=The [[Jewish Press]]|date=28 December 2011|access-date=1 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609184823/http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/beit-shemesh-becomes-focus-of-growing-outrage-over-violent-religious-extremism/2011/12/28/|archive-date=9 June 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}
</ref> and other residents of the town due to opposition to maintaining gender separation at local health clinics,<ref name="Haaretz1.404544">
{{cite web| url= http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/ultra-orthodox-extremism-is-a-reaction-to-growing-reform-in-the-community-1.404544| title= Ultra-Orthodox extremism is a reaction to growing reform in the community| work= [[Haaretz]]| author= Ettinger, Yair| date= 30 December 2011| access-date= 21 February 2012| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120226225430/http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/ultra-orthodox-extremism-is-a-reaction-to-growing-reform-in-the-community-1.404544| archive-date= 26 February 2012| url-status= live| df= dmy-all}}
</ref> and so called ‘[[Mehadrin bus lines|mehadrin buses]]’ where men and women sit separately.<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/107261/Yael-Navon-Of-Betar-Illit-Takes-On-Bus-Gender-Separation.html|title=Yael Navon of Betar Illit Takes on Bus Gender Separation|publisher=[[Yeshiva World News]]|date=31 October 2011|access-date=18 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205191606/http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/107261/Yael-Navon-Of-Betar-Illit-Takes-On-Bus-Gender-Separation.html|archive-date=5 December 2011|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

When the municipality removed a sign asking women to respect gender separation rules in a synagogue, hundreds of devout Haredim staged protests in which physical force was allegedly used against police officers and reporters.<ref>
{{cite news|last1=Rosenberg|first1=Oz|last2=Ravid|first2=Barak|last3=Nesher|first3=Talila|title=Thousands of Israelis protest gender segregation in Beit Shemesh|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/thousands-of-israelis-protest-gender-segregation-in-beit-shemesh-1.403916|work=Haaretz|date=27 December 2011|access-date=20 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120114614/http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/thousands-of-israelis-protest-gender-segregation-in-beit-shemesh-1.403916|archive-date=20 January 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web|last1=Greiner|first1=Lena|last2=Yaron|first2=Gil|title=The Ultra-Orthodox in Israel. A Clash of Cultures in the Holy Land|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,806386,00.html|work=Der Spiegel|date=30 December 2011|access-date=8 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429005800/http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,806386,00.html|archive-date=29 April 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}
</ref> Several placards urging segregation between men and women were put back after being removed by the police.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kahana|first=Menahem|title=Jewish gender segregation protest in Israel turns violent|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/12/26/jewish-gender-segregation-protest-in-israel-turns-violent/|work=National Post|date=26 December 2011|access-date=20 February 2012|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20111229201525/http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/12/26/jewish-gender-segregation-protest-in-israel-turns-violent/|archive-date=29 December 2011|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

After the opening of the Orot Banot [[National Religious|national-religious]] girls' school in September 2011, situated on the border between the primarily National-Religious Sheinfeld neighborhood and the Haredi Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet, groups of devout [[Haredi Judaism|Haredim]] gathered to protest in front of the school, in protest at the lack of [[tzniut|modest dress]], allegedly calling the girls names and spitting at them when they headed to and from school. Stones hurled at a boys' school belonging to the same educational network injured a boy in the leg. Two men were arrested on suspicion of throwing eggs and tomatoes at students.<ref name="ynet evil regime">
{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4125142,00.html|title=Girls' school 'backed by evil regime'|author=Nashoni, Kobi|newspaper=Ynetnews|publisher=ynet news|date=21 September 2011|access-date=18 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228120051/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4125142,00.html|archive-date=28 December 2011|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}
</ref> In a demonstration outside the school a female journalist was assaulted by young, allegedly Haredi, men who cursed and spat at her, and a clash with parents of girls studying at the school was broken up by the police force.<ref name="ynet evil regime"/>

In December 2011, a national public outcry was raised when a television news channel interviewed 8-year-old Na'ama Margolese, who was allegedly cursed and spat at on her way to school by devout Haredim.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/Israeli_girls_plight_highlights_Jewish_extremism.html?page=all| title= Israeli girl's plight highlights extremists| agency= Associated Press | access-date=29 December 2011}}</ref>
''[[The Jewish Daily Forward]]'' reported that the issue is really a property dispute over ownership of the school building.<ref name="Forward2">
{{cite news|title=Letter From Beit Shemesh: American Enclave Stands Up to Extremists|author=Kaplan Sommer, Allison|url=http://forward.com/articles/148763/|newspaper=The Jewish Daily Forward|date=29 December 2011|access-date=30 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107200600/http://www.forward.com/articles/148763/|archive-date=7 January 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}
</ref> Some Haredi women distributed flowers to the girls of Orot Banot school, telling them "sister to sister" that they were beautiful.<ref name="GuardianOct2001">
{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/oct/31/bet-shemesh-haredi-jews-school?newsfeed=true| title=The battle of Bet Shemesh| newspaper=[[The Guardian]]| author=Sherwood, Harriet| date=31 October 2011| access-date=18 December 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312122527/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/oct/31/bet-shemesh-haredi-jews-school?newsfeed=true| archive-date=12 March 2016| url-status=live| df=dmy-all}}
</ref> On 27 December 2011, a protest against extremism near the Orot Banot school drew 10,000 people.<ref>
{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/beit-shemesh-rally-attracts-thousands-to-protest-extremism-1.403981 |date=28 December 2011 |title=Beit Shemesh rally attracts thousands to protest extremism |author1=Oz Rosenberg |author2=Nir Hasson |author3=Revital Blumenfeld |author4=Barak Ravid |author5=Talila Nesher |work=Haaretz |access-date=29 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228170955/http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/beit-shemesh-rally-attracts-thousands-to-protest-extremism-1.403981 |archive-date=28 December 2011 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web| url=http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=251350| date=28 December 2011| title=Beit Shemesh rally 'a success' say protest leaders| author=Sharon, Jeremy| work=The Jerusalem Post| access-date=1 January 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120101024210/http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=251350| archive-date=1 January 2012| url-status=live| df=dmy-all}}
</ref> After the incidents in Beit Shemesh were reported in foreign press, the US State Department updated its Jerusalem travel advisory advising visitors to "dress appropriately" when visiting ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, or to avoid them entirely.<ref>
{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/us-tourists-to-israel-advised-to-dress-modestly/2012/02/06/gIQAVUfKuQ_story.html| newspaper=The Washington Post| title=U.S. tourists to Israel advised to dress modestly| author=Chabin, Michele| date=6 February 2012| access-date=20 February 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313084344/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/us-tourists-to-israel-advised-to-dress-modestly/2012/02/06/gIQAVUfKuQ_story.html| archive-date=13 March 2016| url-status=live| df=dmy-all}}
</ref>