Palestinian Man Fined For Underwear On Israel Beach
Image by Ezra Glinter
A Palestinian man was fined more than $200 – or almost a month’s worth of wages – for going to an Israeli beach while dressed in underpants rather than a bathing suit.
Hakam Habash, a middle-aged factory worker from Nablus, was slapped with the fine as he attempted to enter a beach in Netanya after having been granted a rare permit to travel there during the month of Ramadan, Haaretz reported.
According to the newspaper, a beach inspector cited an obscure part of the city code forbidding clothing that were not “regular” on the beach – the provision apparently does not make specific reference to underwear.
Habash has said that he’s not sure whether he will ever be able to visit the sea again, as he does not intend to pay the fine. He also questioned why he had been subject to the fee.
“I showed the copy of the fine to Jews I know… and they were amazed,” he said. “This fine changed my opinion about the people of Israel. I thought they were cultured people. I guess I won’t be able to see the sea again, because I can’t make the payment, unless I use my pension or give up eating and drinking. This whole story is very unfair and foolish.”
Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter, @DanielJSolomon
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
