Over 250 people attended a 7-kilometer "Peace Race" on Friday morning in Tel Aviv and Jaffa in a sporting initiative to boost coexistence in Israel amid ongoing tensions.
The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality held a special seven-kilometer "Peace Race" on Friday morning for the city's Jewish and Arab residents.
Participating in this race are Jewish and Arab members of Gordon Pool, which is owned by the municipality. The pool has some 3,500 members total, including around 450 Arab members, all of whom can participate in the race free of charge.
The race started at 8 a.m. at Gordon Pool, continuing along the promenade to Clock Square in Jaffa, before returning at the pool.
The participants were provided with a special Israeli-Arab style breakfast, live music and cold beers when the race is over.
The effort to "demonstrate unity through your feet," as the event's Facebook page says, comes amid rising tensions between Israeli Jews and Arabs in recent weeks. In some cases, these tensions escalated into violent riots and clashes in Israel's mixed cities, such as Lod, Haifa and Jaffa.Municipality-owned Gordon Pool counts approximately 3,500 members - including some 450 Arab members.