Islamophobia threatens global peace and coexistence, not just Muslims, says MWL chief at UN    Power bank likely caused South Korea plane fire, investigators say    Gold prices hit $3,000 for the first time as investors push the panic button    Hungary drops veto and agrees to prolong EU sanctions on Russian individuals    China hits out at 'threats of force' on Iran as Trump pushes for new nuclear deal    Makkah Lanterns Festival returns for the eighth year as part of Ramadan activities    Crown Prince receives Yazeed Al-Rajhi after historic Dakar Rally 2025 victory    SR17 million fines slapped on 16 individuals and companies convicted of violating Capital Market Law    Saudi Arabia welcomes border agreement between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan    Saudi ambassadors take oath before Crown Prince    16 endangered species released into AlUla's Protected Areas    Saudi Crown Prince reaffirms support for a political solution to Ukraine crisis in call with Putin Putin praises Saudi Arabia's constructive role and mediation efforts    NCM forecast: Thunderstorms to hit most Saudi regions until Monday    Saleh Al-Shehri's late penalty rescues Al Ittihad against Al Riyadh    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Man lives for 100 days with titanium heart in successful new trial    Argentinian court begins trial of seven healthcare professionals over Maradona's death    Al Hilal crushes Pakhtakor to storm into AFC Champions League quarter-finals    Singer Wheesung who wooed Korea with his ballads, found dead at 43    Prince Frederik of Luxembourg dies from rare disease    Real-life shipwreck story wins major book award    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Israeli amusement park refuses to host Arab students
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 01 - 06 - 2013


Mohammed Mar'i
Saudi Gazette
RAMALLAH – Arab and Israeli organizations expressed anger at an Israeli amusement park for refusing to host Arab students.
Khaled Shaqra, a seventh-grade teacher at the Ajyal school in Arab city of Yaffa (Jaffa), said that he tried and failed to book a day at the Superland park in the Israeli city of Rishon Letzion for a group of his students.
Shaqra said that when he first telephoned to reserve the visit he was told that the dates of June 17, 18 and 19 were set aside for group visits and that he could choose any of those dates. But as soon as he revealed the obviously Arabic-sounding name of his school, he was relayed to a second Superland employee who informed him that no dates were available. When Shaqra offered to change the date of visit, his request was rejected.
Shaqra said that he called the park again half an hour later. This time introducing himself as “Eyal” — a Hebrew name — and saying he represented a Jewish NGO. He was told that the dates were in fact open for his group. “I felt many things all at once. I felt frustration, despair… I've experienced racism in the past, but this was the most severe incident,” the teacher said.
Ahmad Tibi, Knesset Member of the United Arab List party, called on Israeli police to close the park.
Issawi Fraij, MK of leftist Meretz party, said: “Instead of the Devil's Train at Superland, we have the devils of racism and hatred. If we thought that at least at an amusement park our children could forget for a few hours that they are a minority suffering discrimination, it turns out that at Superland we're also second-class citizens.”
Israel Education Minister Shai Piron called Shaqra to express his indignation, the minister's office said in a statement.
“I'm shocked by such discrimination, which has no place in Israeli society,” Piron said, extolling the virtues of “equality, partnership and tolerance.”
Tzipi Livni, Israeli Justice Minister, has asked Israel's attorney-general to look into the claim that the park has a policy of segregating Arab student groups. “If the facts are correct, then it is a serious symptom of an ailing democracy and every instance must be severely dealt with,” Livni was quoted by the Hebrew news site Walla as saying.
MK Amram Mitzna of Livni's Hatnua party, said that “the behavior of the owners is a stinging slap in the face to efforts to deal with the phenomenon of racism in Israel society.” Mitzna is the chairman of the Knesset's Education, Culture, and Sports Committee.
Meanwhile, the park on Friday said it had merely sought to accommodate requests from certain Jewish and Arab schools which wanted to hold separate end-of-school events at the park and that while it may have erred in judgment, it did not act out of malice.
The park said it would appeal to the Education Ministry for guidelines in such cases in the future.
“There has never been, isn't and never will be expressions of racism at the Superland,” a statement from the park said. “We apologize before Jews and Arabs who were offended by the Superland's agreement to the schools' requests and will act to implement guidelines on this issue on a national level.”
Arabs make up about 20 percent of Israel's 8 million residents and often complain of being treated as second-class citizens.
The amusement park uproar comes just days after a hawkish Israeli lawmaker submitted a controversial bill that would prioritize Judaism over democracy in matters of religion and state in Israel, a move widely perceived to be a swipe at Arabs.


Clic here to read the story from its source.