'Day of recreation' ends in tears for Christian campers

2009 August. Racism alleged.Children from northern Israel, as well as from abroad, take part in the Jish church summer camp every year. It is considered the most successful summer camp among the Christian community in Israel. However this year the children were reduced to tears.This year, as always, the camp planned a day of recreational activities at the swimming pool at the country club in Katzirn, a city in Northern Israel. But 250 children from Jish church's summer camp left the country club in tears after the club's manager refused to allow the counselors to play Arabic music. 'We can't have every sector coming to the pool and playing whatever music they want,' manager explainedThe Jish church summer camp director, Jadi Sliman, said the country club manager's conduct was "insulting and racist". Sliman says he explained to the manager that Arabic was the summer camp children's mother tongue, "but he refused to listen and said, 'l am the manager here and I decided. There will be no music in Arabic here."Adib Halif, one of the children's father, told Ynet News that this was a first-class act of racism. "I couldn’t believe that here in Israel there are such open expressions of racism. My child was very disappointed. This is no way to treat children."Separately an Israeli court ordered the operator of municipal swimming pool in Ofakim to pay fine of NIS 10,000 (NIS = New Israel Shekels) for not allowing family to enter place, claiming mother's veil would 'drive customers away' The municipality was not fined.