'I was left outside club because of my dark skin'
Meital Halessatzi arrives at 'Uptown' for her friend's bachelorette party, but is left outside by hostess while other 'light-skinned' people walk in easily. 'It's unlawful selection, because I'm a typical Moroccan,' she says. Club owner to compensate her
"I was humiliated and shocked. I couldn't sleep all night. It bothered me that although we are an enlightened society, there is still differentiation between light and dark," said Meital Halessatzi, describing how she felt standing outside of a club in Tel Aviv on Thursday.
The thirty-two-year old Halessatzi is a mother of two from Mazor, a small town near Petah Tikva. She arrived at the 'Uptown' club in Tel Aviv's harbor in order to celebrate her friend's bachelorette party, but the hostess at the entrance to the club would not allow her in. Halessatzi had to wait outside for an hour-and-a-half, while she watched other friends of the bride walk in easily, after she had been told the club had halted all entry.
"It's an outrage. This was unlawful selection, and they only allowed in light-skinned people," she told Ynet. "Because of them I missed my friend's party."
Halessatzi arrived at the 'Uptown' after she had put the kids to sleep, at around 11:15 pm. Her friend was already inside. "I told the selector, 'Hi, I was invited to a bachelorette party', and she said she was sorry, but they weren't allowing anyone in after 10:30," she said.
"I asked her if I should wait, but she took no notice of me, and turned her head and her nose up as if to say, 'no one talk to me'." Halessatzi decided to wait anyway, in order not to miss the party. After telling her friend she was being held at the entrance she continued to stand there.
"I began to notice that what she had said was not exactly true," Halessatzi recounted. "People the selector wanted to let in she let it, claiming that now the entrance was only allowed for private parties… She was just letting in only light-skinned people, and I am a typical Moroccan, what can I do.
"The worst part was when other friends of the bride arrived and she let them in, in a second. I realized she had never wanted to let me in because she didn't like me. I realized that even if I had stood there for four hours, I still wouldn't have gotten in."
'I have no interest in offending her'
Angrily, she added, "I am a typical town-nick: A mother of two who goes around barefoot all day, doesn't wear labels, and doesn't really relate to Tel Aviv. I only arrived in order to make my friend happy and to be with her, but they took all the fun out of it. I couldn't sleep afterwards, bothered by the fact that we are an enlightened society and yet we still have selection.
"People disregard the law completely, and the others wait for some girl to decide who gets in and who doesn't. I don't want my girls to go through something like that."
Halessatzi called the club the next day, but according to her the club's manager gave her the cold shoulder. Finally the manager deigned to oblige the disgruntled customer by saying that the club does not have a selection process.
"I threatened to sue her and I plan to carry out the threat," Halessatzi said. "It's not a matter of money, but of principle… Especially now, on Tisha B'Av, we need to remember that the temple was destroyed due to unfounded hatred."
'Uptown' manager, Adi Baram, told Ynet in response, "We don't have selectors, we have hostesses. We explain to people that make reservations that we keep strict hours – until 10 pm we allow entry for private parties because we maintain a certain number of people at the club, according to police guidelines."
One of the club's owners, who asked to be identified only by the name Oren, promised compensation anyway. "I myself am not blonde and blue-eyed," he said. "If she feels hurt, I would like to give her an alternate experience. I have no interest in offending her like that."
