6 Apr 2009

Female cabinet ministers deleted from picture

8:44 am on 6 April 2009

Newspapers catering for Israel's ultra-orthodox Jewish community have digitally altered photographs of the new Israeli cabinet to remove its two female ministers.

One newspaper, Yated Neeman, moved two male figures into the picture instead, and another, Shaa Tova, blacked out the women, Limor Livnat and Sofa Landver.

Many ultra-orthodox Jews consider that the publication of pictures of women is a violation of female modesty.

Mainstream Israeli publications have poked fun at the manipulation, however. One published the original and doctored photos side by side, and another ran the headline "Find the lady".