Israel Railways settles with Paralympic medalist over gender discrimination case

A supervisor demanded that Roni Ohayon give up a seat for the disabled because an ultra-Orthodox man refused to sit next to her.

The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court ruled that Israel Railways will compensate Paralympic medalist Roni Ohayon NIS 30,000 for discrimination and legal expenses, following forced segregation based on sex at an event that took place in August 2023.

Ohayon is a senior player on the Israeli national goalkeeping team and a silver medalist at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

During the event, a train conductor demanded that Ohayon, a disabled woman accompanied by a guide dog, move from a seat designated for the disabled, because a disabled ultra-Orthodox man sitting there refused to sit next to her. Together with the Free Israel movement and represented by attorney Adiya Scheinwald of the Kalai, Rosen & Co. law firm, Ohayon filed a lawsuit against the railway for the discrimination she experienced.

The compensation was provided as part of a settlement agreement approved by the court, after the railway initially refused to take responsibility for the incident.

Making changes going forward

As part of the agreement, Israel Railways committed to refining its procedures, placing clear signage in carriages and platforms prohibiting the demand that a passenger move based on their gender, conducting training for employees on the prohibition of discrimination, and developing customized training programs.

The railway management will update the employee representatives and ensure that the procedures are implemented in practice to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future.

After the court’s approval, Ohayon said, "I thank Free Israel for supporting the fight against discrimination and exclusion of women on public transportation. My goal in this fight was not to receive financial compensation, but to bring about real and lasting change, which will ensure that in the future, more women with and without disabilities will be able to sit wherever they choose, without experiencing discrimination.

“I congratulate Israel Railways on its decision to refine procedures, conduct training for staff, and most importantly, install electronic signage that will remind passengers of the prohibition of discrimination. In such a complex period for the country, it is gratifying to discover that there are still positive changes, even if they are small, that can lead us to accessible, equal, and discrimination-free public transportation."

The Free Israel movement, which accompanied Ohayon throughout the struggle, said, "We congratulate Roni Ohayon for the just and justified struggle that she waged for two years and remind you: there is and will be no place for discrimination against women, not on public transportation, not on Israel Railways, nor anywhere else."

The statement continued, "Public transportation operators and all those who provide public services must internalize: the public will not accept the exclusion of women as an agenda, and any such case will be handled with the utmost seriousness. We at Free Israel are proud to stand by Roni's side in the struggle not only for her sake, but for girls and women all over the country, so that none of them will experience discrimination or exclusion due to religious coercion. Anyone who has encountered a similar case and experienced discrimination is welcome to contact us."