Israeli public figures push back against backlash over breastfeeding in public

A Hebrew opinion report highlights a renewed online controversy over public breastfeeding after Israeli media personality and model Titi Aynaw posted an Instagram reel with the hashtag #הנקהזההחיים, meant to normalize breastfeeding. The piece says Aynaw, who is a recent mother for the second time, has been active on social media and in public advocacy, including her fight for Haimanut Kasa and her presence in Knesset committees on behalf of women without a voice.

The article compares the reaction to Aynaw’s post with similar criticism aimed at TV host and influencer Yarden Vizel and media personality Shani Goldstein. Vizel shared images from a 48-hour trip to Paphos, including a yacht photo with a wireless breast pump tucked into her bikini top, while Goldstein posted that she nurses her four-month-old daughter Sasha even while walking through a mall cafe. Both said they received mostly supportive responses.

Goldstein said, “If it bothers you, don’t look,” adding that she is not embarrassed by breastfeeding in public and that her child comes first. Vizel said she was proud not to give up breastfeeding, even if it means pumping every three hours when she is away from her son, Omer. She added that her baby, Ido, is exclusively breastfed and that the image reflects her real life as a working mother.

The article argues that the backlash came not only from social media users but also from radio and Instagram pages that mocked and condemned the women. It says public breastfeeding is a natural act and notes that in most historical cultures it was normal, while modern discomfort is relatively recent. The writer concludes that although breastfeeding is legal and protected in many places, cultural attitudes, especially in Israel, still lag behind, and thanks the women for normalizing it publicly.