Chareidi filmmaker Tali Avrahami pushed back against calls to protest a women-only screening of her latest film in Herzliya, accusing critics of engaging in what she described as “anti-liberal bullying.”

The event, scheduled to take place Sunday evening at the Herzliya Cinematheque, will feature a screening of Avrahami’s new film for women only. Controversy erupted after activist Naor Narkis announced online that he and several others had purchased tickets and planned to attend in protest of what he called “gender separation.”

Narkis wrote that “it is impossible in the name of pluralism to allow a dark policy of gender separation.”

Responding to the criticism, Avrahami said the evening was intended as “a cultural event for women who want to enjoy themselves in an environment that is comfortable for them.” She added that intentionally coming to the event in order “to provoke or ruin an evening women were looking forward to” ultimately harms women themselves.

According to Avrahami, “If a woman wants to attend a women-only evening, that is her full right. True equality does not mean everyone has to live the exact same way.”

Despite the backlash and online calls to protest the screening, Avrahami said the event will go ahead as planned.