Fight in water park results in 50-person pileup
Two people injured, six arrested when fight breaks out between two groups of park-goers, one from east Jerusalem, other from Rahat. Eyewitnesses: Chairs and all kinds of other objects flew through the air
The skirmish initiated between two groups of youngsters, one from east Jerusalem, the other Rahat, who were spending the day at the park. The police are still having trouble identifying what exactly made tempers flare in the first place. However, according to eye witnesses, it all started when one of the youths from Rahat took a romantic interest in a young woman from the east Jerusalem group.
After words were exchanged, the interchange escalated to pushing and shoving. A short time later, the two groups started throwing items at each other.
According to another version of the events that is being looked into, the tumult started as a result of an argument over using one of the park rides.
Park owners, Dan and Shoshana Balfour, provided yet another version of the events: "The group from east Jerusalem made comments to the Arab Bedouins from Rahat for serving in the IDF and beating up Palestinian Arabs. The group from Rahat did not take well to these comments and started arguing. From there, it quickly deteriorated into punches being thrown."
A young woman who was there said, "Chairs and all kinds of objects flew through the air. Slowly, more and more people started coming. There was shouting. It was really scary." The young woman hurried to call her father to come pick her up from the park.
'Don't want to be accused of racism'
Park security tried to quell the rumble until the police came. The police were able to take control after separating between the two groups. The park owners will be summoned to the police station for a hearing. The police may consider issuing a temporary order of closure to the park because of the event.
Two residents of east Jerusalem, aged 51 and 30, were evacuated to the hospital, suffering from injuries to their faces and bodies.
The park owners added, "We are obligated to grant entry to whoever comes here. If we don't let in one group or another, we will be accused of racism, and we will be fined by the court.
"We are very sorry for what happened, but, unfortunately, the State must take care of violence everywhere in the country, from all groups from around the country, from north to south. We did not receive notice of an order of closure or a hearing, but if we are summoned, we will show up at the police."
