A Veiled Winter

In the fall of 2007, the Israeli press published several stories on a small group of ultra-orthodox Jewish women whom they named, “The veiled women of Beit Shemesh” (quickly labeled “The Taliban women”). The group numbered as many as 50 followers, and adhered to a new dress code. The women were covered (heads and faces as well) with many layers of clothing, followed a rigorous health diet and refrained from talking for several hours a day. In the winter of 2008, the women from Beit Shemesh were in the news again. Their leader was arrested on charges of the physical and sexual child abuse of her twelve children. She was also accused of cult-like practices. The limited case study of the women from Beit Shemesh is juxtaposed with other cases of covering/revealing the female body in public. The reactions to their behavior, as expressed by their families, communities and the State, are analyzed in order to learn “how much of a woman should be seen”. The paper shows that while in France or Turkey, the veiling debate is controlled by a discourse on Citizenship, while in Israel, it is Nationality and Gender (motherhood). This analysis attempts to show that opposition to the veils is not all about racism, just as acceptance of the veils is not all about multi-culturalism or tolerance.