(haipo) An unusual incident occurred last Friday night in the Kishon Bridge Park in Haifa, when about 10 families who were spending time there as part of a period of in-between times found themselves locked inside the park, unable to leave. They claim that the municipal inspectors locked the entrance gate at midnight, even though they knew that families with children, including babies and toddlers, were there. The families called the police, who sent a car to the scene, contacted the inspector, and led to the gates being opened. The incident sparked a public outcry and questions about the conduct of the municipal inspectors, the responsibility of parents, and the way the public uses public space.
The families claim: The inspectors locked the gates even though they saw us
According to the testimonies of those who spent time there, dozens of people from Haifa, the ridges and other areas of the country came to the park with their young children to enjoy the open air and the lawns. Some say that there were also babies there, including a baby girl who was only a week old. They claim that at midnight the gates were locked, leaving them unable to leave the park and return home.
The families claim that the city inspectors knew full well that they were there, and yet decided to lock the gates. They say this is a dangerous move that could have ended in disaster, especially if one of the children had needed urgent medical attention while the gates were locked.
Allegations of ignoring procedures: Supervision requested to be evacuated for two hours
On the other hand, sources close to the municipality present a completely different picture. According to them, the park closes every day at 22:00 PM, as indicated by the signs posted at the entrance. Towards closing time, an announcement was made in the park, announcing its imminent closure, and the inspectors personally approached the visitors and asked them to evacuate in accordance with the procedures.
According to the sources, the families chose to stay in the park for two more hours after its official closing, even though it was made clear to them that the place was about to close. At midnight, after the revelers did not leave, the gates were locked. Only after the families called the police did the police contact the inspector, who returned to open the gates.
Fear of a dangerous event: "What would happen if a child needed help?"
The families claim that simply locking the gates while they are in the park poses a real danger. They point out that if one of the children were injured or needed urgent medical attention, there would be no way to quickly exit the park or call for help inside. They claim that the municipality should take action against the guards who locked the gates despite knowing that the families were still there.
The incident sparked a broad public debate about parental responsibility in public spaces and the need to maintain procedures designed to protect the public. Along with criticism of municipal supervision, many wondered how parents could have stayed in the park with babies until midnight, despite repeated requests to leave.
In-between periods: family time, travel, and rest
The incident occurred during the period of "Bein Tzamim," a central concept in the world of yeshiva and Haredi education. This period describes the vacation between periods of study in yeshiva, and is intended to allow for rest, spending time with family, and refreshment before returning to intensive study.
The academic year in yeshiva is divided into three main periods, with defined breaks in between. The vacation is not seen as a regular vacation, but rather as a time when yeshiva students can rest from their spiritual and academic efforts, sometimes while maintaining a more limited academic framework or personal study. Some participate in "interim yeshiva," which offer a lighter academic framework.
The period between periods is the only time of the year when there is a significant break from intensive learning, so many families take advantage of it for trips and family activities. The period occurs during convenient seasons for trips, especially in the summer, which makes it an ideal opportunity to get out of the house, spend time in nature, and give children quality time.
In the case of Kishon Park, many families came to enjoy the lawns and the open atmosphere. But the vacation, which was meant to be a time of relaxation, turned into a tense and complex event.
Questions about public responsibility and parental conduct
It's hard to ignore the fact that a week-old baby was in a public park at midnight, according to partygoers, instead of sleeping at home. Of course, no parent should be judged, but the question arises as to how parents can ignore the procedures, supposedly, and then complain to the authorities.
The incident connects to broader phenomena seen across the country in recent months: people doing whatever they want in public spaces, without regard for the law, municipal regulations, or other people. The Torah commands, "Love your neighbor as yourself," but it seems that some families did not think about the inspector who was trying to finish his workday and return home.
Municipality response: Procedures will be refined and opening hours extended
The municipality stated that Kishon Park closes every evening at 22:00 PM, and that this is indicated on the signs posted there. Several announcements were made prior to its closure, in addition to a personal request from the ranger asking him to leave the area. Several families chose not to heed the instructions and did not evacuate the park.
The municipality notes that the conduct of the operators on the ground and the circumstances in which the gates were locked are being studied, and procedures will be refined accordingly. Starting last weekend, the park's opening hours were extended until midnight, in order to allow visitors to enjoy the public space in a safe and orderly manner.
Let them stay there, nothing will happen to them. On this occasion, we can call in the military police and recruit every ultra-Orthodox who can contribute to the state.
What a stupid response from very responsible people who take a week-old baby out to spend long hours in a public park. Don't break the rules then you won't run into a problem if you need help or an emergency evacuation.
The ultra-Orthodox are cheeky.
There are opening hours for the park and the rangers are not supposed to stay longer than that.
They probably also left piles of filth for someone else to clean up after them.
Blah blah blah anti-Semitism
The inspector knew they were there and even when they asked him to open the door and he closed it in their face, he behaved in a bullying manner and for that he needs to be held accountable. The media doesn't show the whole picture.
There was an announcement that the park was closed and they were asked to leave. The inspector doesn't have to chase every Haredi parasite personally.
I didn't understand. If they are religious, how exactly did they plan to return home at midnight with babies and children on a Friday night? On foot? In short, it's very good that they closed the park. Let them go to sleep in their homes and not in the park.
Don't underestimate.
While they were waiting for the monitor, they managed to make 2 more babies…
A week-old baby with his parents in Kishon Park? The public has been ignoring the law for a while now and doesn't care about the opening and closing hours of the place. We gave these inspectors no choice but to do their job.
I didn't understand why the inspector was responsible for the baby if the parents of that baby didn't care about her and they were the ones who left her in the kindergarten. Some people think that they are allowed to do anything and that they are above the law and above all other people, and of course they end up coming to blows with the inspector because he acted according to the law. A country in reverse
I'm just asking. Why does the chapter have to be closed at night? What does it help the municipality that the chapter is closed? Are you looking for employment for inspectors?
The inspectors should have called the police at 22:15 PM and enforced the closing hours, the baby's parents should be prosecuted for endangering the life of a minor. It's time to reverse the equation - governance is not an empty slogan
It's great that the inspectors worked according to the procedures!! Recently, Haifa has been flooded with many parasites who behave brazenly and do not obey instructions!! Free eaters are also roaming around in Gan Hecht! They cause noise and do not maintain order and cleanliness
A municipality that sees a takeover of Hecht Park should close the park and evict them.
Definitely stop this thing, they don't even buy sandwiches in Haifa.
They come to travel and leave behind only broken facilities + lots of packaging and wrapping dirt.
The Haifa Municipality should close Hecht Park to Haifa residents with a resident card and have them pay the rest, there is no escape
The parasites in black and white don't want to pay for hotels so they decided they were taking over the park and putting up tents because they were above the law. They were just surprised that there was a law and that they were locked inside.
They're so fed up, they need to change the name of the settlement, it's not "Ridges," it's "Abyss."
What a one-sided and boring headline. The writing below is at least a little less so.
Families zipping around, traveling between times, complaining that they were 'locked' in the park two hours after closing. Then you'll complain that religious parasites are being harassed, who need to be taken into consideration (and consideration is always always always one-sided).