Amusement park settles in discrimination case
Management to compensate Arab schools with 4,000 free tickets after being sued over policy of separate admission days for Jews and Arabs.
The Superland amusement park in Rishon Lezion will compensate Arab students with 4,000 free admission cards as part of a settlement after the park was accused of racial discrimination.
The settlement was agreed on by the claimant, Abd Qader Nasar, and Superland's management two-and-a-half years after the incident took place.
At the Superland park (Archive photo: Yariv Katz)
The affair broke out in June 2013. Khaled Shaqra, a Jaffa resident, contacted Superland in order to bring his students for a day of fun in honor of the end of the school year.He was shocked to see that the park had separate days for Jews and Arabs to attend. The plaintiff claimed that this was harmful to the entire Arab population, estimating the total damage at NIS 150 million.
Superland rejected the allegations of racial discrimination. The park claims that it opens its doors to the whole Israeli public 140 days a year. During these days, anyone can purchase a ticket and enjoy the park.
It was also claimed that the days in which Arabs and Jews are separated is not racially motivated. Rather, encounters between Arabic and Jewish students are unusual and could result in disruptions and skirmishes, significantly impairing the ability to enjoy the park and even posing a threat to students who visit the park.
Superland also claimed that in the wake of recent violent incidents, the park received requests from schools from both sectors requesting that separate time slots be given during holidays .
According to the terms of the settlement, 4,000 tickets will be given to Arab students in 25 schools to be used on any day. The value of the cards is estimated at NIS 436,000, and tickets left over after a certain period of time will be offered to organizations that work for coexistence between Jews and Arabs.
Those enjoying the tickets will include "anyone who requested permission for a student or teacher from educational institutions in the Arab sector during the relevant time period."
Superland's management was also ordered to pay for the plaintiff's lawyer, whose fees amounted to NIS 60,000.
"We weren't party to the proceedings, but for us the goal is to convey the civic message that discrimination is prohibited," the school principal who initiated the suit told Ynet. "We provided an excellent civics lesson for the Arab and Jewish populations and for everyone who runs such places – demand and stand up for your rights."
