Entertainment star Barbra Streisand is attacking Jewish religious practices in Israel that treat women differently from men.
Streisand says she is distressed to read about women in Israel "being forced to sit on the back of the bus" and women being assaulted while praying at Jerusalem's Western Wall. She was referring to recent incidents involving ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Streisand was speaking Monday at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, where she received an honorary Ph.D. noting her dedication to Israel. She urged equality and praised the university for issuing its largest-ever number of doctorates to women this year.
The speech was the first event on Streisand's tour of Israel. The Jewish singer will attend the 90th birthday party of Israeli President Shimon Peres before holding her first ever concerts in Israel this weekend.
