In January 2011 the Israeli Supreme Court ruled against gender segregated buses due to religious coercion. The petitioned filed by IRAC (Israel Religious Action Center of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism) in April 2007 protested against "Mehadrin" buses on public bus lines run by the state bus company, Egged, that impose extreme religious practices such as requiring women to board and sit only in the back of the bus and wear modest dress (long skirts, no pants, covered sleeves and collar bones). IRAC charged women were often verbally and physically attacked and in some cases denied entrance to the buses for not adhering to these segregation or modesty rules.

“Have the days of Rosa Parks, the African American woman who catalyzed the end of racial segregation on Alabama buses in 1955 returned?” Supreme Court Judge Elyakim demanded, “A public transportation operator, like any other person, does not have the right to order, request or tell women where they may sit simply because they are women…they must sit wherever they like.” Unfortunately, as the judges cannot prevent men and women on these bus lines from voluntarily separating themselves, the court did not insist upon ending the practice, continuing to allow the back doors to be opened for women to enter.

In practice gender segregation on public buses continues. Today, a small group of activists lead by Moti Bavchuk of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism and Jonathan Hefetz Gozlan of the Center for Jewish Pluralism, including Jerusalem City Councilwoman Laura Varton, set out to the dominantly religious neighborhoods and bus lines to wish pedestrians and public transportation passengers a happy Passover and to distribute leaflets detailing the illegality and immorality of gender segregation. Their peaceful intent was not always welcomed among the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Heated debates broke out in the streets and near bus stations with ugly accusations and inappropriate language used.