The crowds arrived, and the residents were left outside: Fury in Kiryat Ata over the independence events

(live here) – The 77th Independence Day brought with it not only celebrations but also a storm of emotions, especially in Kiryat Ata. While many cities in the region canceled their festive events due to the harsh weather conditions, Kiryat Ata chose to hold the performances as planned – which attracted a large audience from all over the north and created heavy traffic, endless lines, and many complaints from local residents who felt excluded from an event that was intended primarily for them.

Many municipalities canceled events – Kiryat Ata remains the only one in the area

On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Independence Day events were scheduled to take place in many cities across the north. However, the stormy weather, which included strong winds and a real threat of fires, caused most municipalities – including Haifa, Kiryat Haim, Kiryat Motzkin, Kiryat Yam, Tirat Carmel and Yokneam – to announce the cancellation of the events. The Nesher municipality also initially took a firm line that the events would take place in any case, but following a reassessment of the situation that included consultation with the police and safety engineers, it was decided to cancel the performances there as well.

The Nesher Municipality noted that due to the cancellation of events in neighboring cities, the expected number of people at Nesher events could have exceeded any possible scenario and jeopardized public safety. Mayor Roy Levy made it clear to residents that the existing security system would not be able to handle the unusual load and the events were canceled at the last minute.

Kiryat Ata was left almost alone – and the crowd flooded the event

On the other hand, the Kiryat Ata municipality decided not to give up and to hold the events as planned – a decision that was seen by some residents as a welcome one, but by others as a serious mistake. Due to the fact that this was almost the only event taking place in the area, thousands of residents of nearby towns flocked to Kiryat Ata – causing severe congestion in the early evening hours.

The main event took place in the city park, and getting there became an almost impossible task for many. Long lines, unusually crowded entrance gates, and even cases of residents being allowed to enter only the food stall avenue – and not the performance area itself – were some of the experiences described by many participants.

"Three hours in line – and we barely made it to the food stalls"

A 50-year-old resident of Kiryat Ata spoke to "Hai Fe" and painfully recounted the evening that turned into a disappointment for her:
"My daughter went with her mother-in-law at 22:00 PM, stood in line for three hours, gave up, got back in line again and only got in at 1 AM. And even then – not for the performances, but only for the booth area. We saw pictures on Facebook of people from out of town who came in, and we – the long-time residents – were left outside. It's insulting. It would have been better to cancel the event than to make our residents feel excluded."

She said there were cases where people who were at the event briefly went out to buy food – but were not allowed back in. Others tried to enter through gaps in the fence, posing a real safety risk. “It’s lucky it didn’t end in disaster,” she said.

Other residents talk about frustration, rejection and thirst

A 26-year-old resident also described the holiday eve with a sense of loss. "We wanted to make a bonfire and then go to the concerts, but my sister waited in line for an hour and a quarter, got discouraged and went home, which made us give up. It simply doesn't make sense. There is clear discrimination here - why do residents of Kiryat Ata, who pay property taxes to the city, have to stand outside and watch residents from Haifa and Nesher enter?"

According to her, friends who managed to get in had to give up drinking because there was no way to buy water. "A policeman took pity on them and gave them a private bottle. This is absurd. If they had checked IDs and let in the city residents first, maybe the situation would have been different."

"The police are to blame – it was empty inside"

Enforcement officials were also not spared criticism. A 43-year-old city resident described a frustrating experience: "I arrived with my wife and daughter and we waited outside for a long time. Finally we went in - and discovered that there was no pressure at all inside. So why did they delay us? It only created unnecessary anger and tension."

He said that previous events had been more crowded, but everything was conducted in an orderly manner. "This year, there was actually a distribution of the workload – and yet, something about the police's conduct didn't make sense. It was as if they simply didn't want more people to come in, even when it was possible."

There were also those who enjoyed it – and saw the positive side.

Alongside all the criticism, there are also other voices. Residents who attended the event reported a very positive experience. They claim that the municipality invested considerable effort in producing a well-thought-out event, which included diverse performances, children's areas, and a particularly festive atmosphere - especially when events in other cities were canceled altogether.

"Every year people complain that there aren't enough events, that the municipality isn't doing anything. This year they did invest - and there are still complaints," wrote one user on social media.
"There's no way to please everyone. I was at the event, I got in without a line, I enjoyed every moment – ​​and I was proud that my city didn't fold like other places."

Suggestions for future solutions: Payment and filtering by residential address

Some residents who expressed frustration with the situation also tried to offer solutions. One of the most popular suggestions was to charge a fee from non-residents, while allowing free entry for residents of Kiryat Ata upon presentation of an ID card.

"This is the only way to maintain a community event," wrote a city resident. "If everyone comes to Kiryat Ata because it's the best value here - then at least they should respect that local residents get priority."

The municipality has not yet responded – the response will be added after the holiday.