Israeli Stamps Offend Some

Last week Haaretz reported on the Israeli Philatelic Service's decision not to use a picture from 1948 of a young woman working at the Ayalon Institute, a secret ammunition factory that operated before the state was established, producing bullets for the Haganah, then an underground paramilitary organization. The service cited the woman's "bare legs" as the reason for rejecting the photo.

Yesterday, Haaretz, this wasn't the first time the Philatelic Service censored a stamp for fear of offending the religious public.

According to the article by Ofer Aderet, "In 2000, the service issued a stamp to encourage proper oral hygiene for children. The stamp featured Adam and Eve with fig leaves covering their genitals and Eve tempting Adam to eat candies from the Tree of Knowledge. Righteous Adam turns away with a large, defiant toothbrush in hand."

Aderat goes on to say, "The dental hygiene stamp was the inspiration of Dr. Haim Galon, editor of Haaretz's now defunct stamps section. In the original version, Galon wrote in a letter to the editor, the toothbrush was drawn 'in a very strategic place on the man's body.' Ultimately, it was moved a few millimeters higher so as not to offend the religious public and the whole affair passed without complaint, wrote Galon."

To read the entire article, click here.