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Arab barred from entering club to be compensated

Two youths from Nazareth, Nazareth-Illit document bouncer at popular Haifa club refusing to grant them entry, citing a 'closed party', but allowing their Jewish friend to enter

Two Arab youths who were not allowed to enter a club in the northern city of Haifa will receive a NIS 66,000 (about $16,700) compensation, according to a Haifa Magistrates' Court ruling.

 

The two young men used a cell phone to document the event in which they were told that there was a "private party" being held at the club, while their Jewish friend was allowed to enter.

 

The club, in response, claimed that the two men are "serial suers". The judge accepted this claim, yet noted that this fact does not alter the fact that there the event was a clear case of discrimination. This designation did, however, result in a lower monetary compensation than demanded in the claim by the plaintiffs.

 

The event took place in November 2006. The plaintiffs, Hisham Abd al-Gani and Munthasar Zoabi, two young men from Nazareth and Nazareth Illit, went out to party in Haifa with their friend, Haim Schwartz.

 

Two youths approached the bouncer at the entrance to the club City Hall and asked to enter. After checking their drivers' licenses, the bouncer told that they could not get into the club because a private party was being held at the time.

 

The two Nazareth youth returned to their car where Schwartz was waiting. Their Jewish friend went up to the bouncer, and, after presenting his drivers' license, was allowed into the club without a problem. The entire event was recorded on a cell phone video camera.

 

Not the full amount 

Judge Tamar Naot-Perry rejected the club's claim that the two young men presented a threat because it was a private party, rendering the person responsible for the events that transpired the party planner and not the club bouncer.

 

The club also claimed that the two were "serial suers" of clubs that do not allow them entry. The men did not refute this claim, and Abd al-Gani confirmed that he has sued four clubs thus far in Haifa.

 

Judge Naot-Perry noted that while the two men were expecting to be discriminated against and prepared accordingly, this does not detract from the fact that their experiment bore fruit and they were indeed discriminated against.

Because the plaintiffs were prepared for the discriminatory act, Naot-Perry ruled that each plaintiff would be awarded NIS 28,000 ($7,100) by the club and that an additional NIS 10,000 ($2,500) would be granted to cover their legal fees.

 

Additional claims made against clubs in Haifa, Akko, and the Krayot by the two are slated to be brought to trial in the coming months.

 


פרסום ראשון: 01.22.09, 15:43
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