Egged reportedly to forego human images on Jerusalem bus ads

An Egged bus in Afula, Israel

The Egged bus company will not use images of either men or women in advertisements on its Jerusalem buses.

The decision comes after controversy over featuring women in ads, Haaretz reported Monday.

The Canaan Media advertising company had appeared to drop plans to place advertisements for the Yerushalmim movement on Egged buses in Jerusalem featuring photos of women and the slogans “Jerusalem women, pleased to meet you” and “Because Jerusalem belongs to all of us.”

Israel’s Supreme Court had ordered the bus and advertising companies to go ahead with the ad campaign, despite fears that the buses would be vandalized in haredi Orthodox neighborhoods.

Egged reportedly decided not to feature any people in ads so as not to be accused of excluding women.

Haaretz reported that in a late July letter to Canaan Media’s CEO, Egged marketing manager Eyal Yehiel wrote that “Jerusalem-area advertising will be only on the rear of buses, there will be no advertising on buses’ side panels. In the Jerusalem area there will be no human images at all, though in other parts of the country it will be possible to use such images.”