New law allows pregnant Israeli women to skip to the front of the line

Expectant mums can jump to the front of queues at 'supermarkets, shops, pharmacies, post office' and other places offering public services

An amendment to Israel’s Women’s Equal Rights Act will allow pregnant women to skip to the head of lines at “supermarkets, shops, pharmacies, the post office and other places that provide public service.”

The bill, which was proposed by Joint List parliamentarian Yousef Jabareen, was passed unanimously on Monday.

“The idea for the bill proposal came when I was abroad with my wife who was pregnant,” Jabareen was quoted by The Jerusalem Post as saying during a Knesset debate. “And when we saw the long lines in public places, we thought of giving up on those places. But we were pleasantly surprised when the service providers told us that we did not have to stand in line. When we came back to Israel we noticed the differences. It is time to give pregnant women the respect they deserve.”

The bill came just over a year after the Knesset passed a similar law granting citizens over 80 the same privilege.

“In order to give pregnant women the respect they deserve and to make life easier for them,” the amendment reads, she “will be granted the right to receive public service without waiting in line.”