Ron Huldai backing down? The surprising turn in the closure of the Metzitzim beach in Tel Aviv
After the relocation of the gender-segregated beach to the north of the city was presented as a done deal, the Tel Aviv municipality now clarifies, following protests, that the road to completing the process is still long and the issue is under re-examination.
The storm surrounding the gender-segregated beach in Tel Aviv is taking a surprising turn: after weeks of public protest and reports regarding the closure of the veteran segregated beach at Metzitzim, the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality now clarifies that a final decision on the matter has not yet been reached.
According to a report in the digital local outlet "Tel Aviv Online", the municipality issued an updated clarification stating that the previous publication on the municipality's website, which presented the relocation of the beach to the north of the city as a done deal, was uploaded by mistake and does not reflect a final decision by the mayor, Ron Huldai.
The drama began at the beginning of the month, when the municipality published a plan to end gender segregation at Metzitzim beach and relocate the segregated beach to a stretch of coast in the north of the city, near the segregated beach of Herzliya. At the time, the municipality justified the move by the desire to open the city center to the general public and remove the partition wall to create a uniform promenade sequence, while maintaining a single segregated beach in the city as required by law.
The plan sparked a stormy discourse on social media and protests from residents and social activists. Following the public pressure, the municipality now clarifies that "the road to completing the process is still long," and the issue is under examination and dialogue with the Ministry of Interior and the Herzliya municipality before final conclusions are reached.
