Bus crash enrages ultra-Orthodox
A fatal bus accident on the Jerusalem highway has stirred up long-held grievances by the ultra-Orthodox sector against the Israeli bus company Egged.
A deadly crash occurred Feb. 14 on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway 1 when an Egged bus heading to Bnei Brak on the 402 line hit a truck parked on the roadside. Six passengers — four men and two women — were killed in the accident and several others were injured. Shortly thereafter, it transpired that the bus driver was a habitual traffic offender and is suspected of trying to obstruct the police investigation by tampering with the bus' monitoring system. Senior Egged staff have been summoned for questioning, leading some to believe that they will be held responsible for the incident.
The accident has rekindled ultra-Orthodox fury at Egged Cooperative, the largest transportation operator in Israel. For years, the ultra-Orthodox have felt that Egged is ignoring their needs and treating them condescendingly, even showing a racist attitude. These feelings were exacerbated by the obituary published by Egged in the ultra-Orthodox press that failed to give the names of the six people killed. A media storm ensued. Knesset member Shelly Yachimovich (Zionist Camp) voiced her protest against Egged in a critical Facebook post titled, "The ultra-Orthodox are human beings, too."
