After many weekend drownings at Israel’s beaches, including a number of deaths, members of the Knesset Interior Committee on Sunday, 5 Elul 5773 called for extending the working hours of the nation’s lifeguards until shekiya (sunset). Other suggestions included eliminating entry fees to beaches with lifeguards and price ceilings at the canteens, all towards drawing swimmers to beaches manned by lifeguards.

Committee Chairwoman Miri Regev called on the interior minister and the Union of Local Authorities to probe advancing these ideas, the costs involved, and a decision was made to meet again during the summer Knesset recess considering the importance of the issues at hand.

Committee member MK (Hadash) Dov Khenin pointed out that when he travels around Tel Aviv he sees too many EMS stations closed later in the day and he feels EMS response time is delayed, perhaps contributing to the number of fatalities.

Committee members did acknowledge that some of the recent fatal drowning cases occurred at beaches that do not have lifeguards.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)