A poster for the Smurfs, The Lost Village, movie is seen in the central Israeli city of Bnei Brak. The PR firm promoting “Smurfs: The Lost Village” says it removed Smurfette from promo posters in central city of Bnei Brak so as not to offend its ultra-Orthodox Jewish residents. The deeply conservative ultra-Orthodox chafe at the public display of women’s images. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)
Republished March 28, 2017 - 6:09 AM
Original Publication Date March 28, 2017 - 4:50 AM
BNEI BRAK, Israel - Israel's pious ultra-Orthodox Jewish community has long chafed at public displays of women, whether the images are of female public figures or ordinary women.
Now even animated characters appear to be a no-go.
The PR company promoting "Smurfs: The Lost Village" movie, which opens Thursday in Israel, says it has removed the images of Smurfette — the only female among the Smurf characters — from promo posters in the central Israeli city of Bnei Brak.
The Mirka'im-Hutzot Zahav company says it did so as not to offend the city's ultra-Orthodox residents.
The original poster shows Smurfette alongside friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty. But in Bnei Brak, she's nowhere to be found.
The ultra-Orthodox press in Israel has previously avoided publishing pictures of Hillary Clinton during last year's American presidential race.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017