Arab Girls Expelled from Morasha Playground Spark Outcry Over Coexistence in Israel

Two teenage girls from Tamra were asked to leave a playground in the Morasha community in the Misgav Regional Council, an incident that has ignited controversy and accusations of racism. The girls’ mother told N12 that her daughters were traumatized by the event, describing it as a painful experience that made them feel unwelcome in their own country. The girls had gone to the playground seeking a quiet place to sit, unaware that their presence would cause tension.

According to the mother, the situation escalated when a local woman noticed the girls and began filming them, claiming her daughter was afraid. The presence of one girl wearing a head covering appeared to attract attention. Shortly after, a woman identifying herself as part of Morasha’s security arrived and demanded the girls leave, stating they had been instructed to remove them. When the girls explained they were minors and had done nothing wrong, the woman dismissed their claims and threatened to call reinforcements, including men and a dog. The mother, watching via video call from abroad, attempted to intervene by phone but was refused communication.

The mother expressed deep distress over the incident’s psychological impact, noting that one daughter no longer wishes to study pharmacy at the Hebrew University out of fear of similar encounters. She lamented the erosion of coexistence in Israel, saying, "Apparently in our country the word 'coexistence' no longer exists."

The chairman of the Ta'al party and Knesset member Ahmad Tibi condemned the event as racist and called for an official investigation. The Tamra municipality also strongly denounced the incident, demanding action from the Misgav Regional Council and emphasizing that public spaces should not become sites of exclusion or discrimination. As of the report’s publication, no official response had been received from Morasha’s security or local authorities.