On the Starting Line

	Photo: Animal Aid

By Dani Brenner

NRG (Online Edition of Ma'ariv)

27 September 2006, Tel Aviv

Translated from Hebrew

Hakol Chai renews its struggle against the racetrack built on land belonging to the Regional Council of Gilboa, and against the inaugural race scheduled to take place during the Succot holiday. The Council is furious at this attempt to thwart their plan: "The project will provide thousands of new jobs and will teach youth to love animals."

Hakol Chai renewed its struggle aimed at thwarting the attempt to build a racetrack near Moshav Nir Yaffe, in the Taanach Region. Hakol Chai is determined to stop the plan to hold the inaugural race during the Succot holiday.

Hakol Chai activists yesterday filed a complaint with the Afula police against the race organizers. MK Yoel Hasson (Kadima) approached the Legal Advisor to the Government, Meni Mazuz, and the Internal Security Minister, Avi Dichter, and demanded they open a criminal investigation against the Regional Council of Gilboa, where work to prepare the racetrack is being carried out.

According to the original plan, a high-level racecourse will be built in this area. It will include 2 km of professional racetrack, a covered gallery for thousands of people, an upscale "hotel" for hundreds of valuable thoroughbred race horses, a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital, a hotel for racecourse guests, a huge commercial center, and other facilities.

The Head of the Gilboa Council, Danny Atar, said that when completed, the racecourse will provide thousands of new jobs to nearby communities. The track was approved by the government, but the final permit for foreign entrepreneurs to operate the facility is still pending, due to a dispute between the Council for Gambling in Sports and the Ministry of Finance over the legalization of gambling planned at the site. Hakol Chai has been waging a battle against the plan to hold horse races in Israel, arguing that these races involve cruelty to horses that is banned by the Animal Protection Law.

Hakol Chai argues that horses are often forced to race even when injured. From an early age, they undergo a cruel training regimen before their bones have had time to mature, which causes them to break. The average life expectancy of a race horse is only 6 years, compared to 25 years for a horse not raced. Hakol Chai also argues that of the thousands of horses bred by the industry, only the few fastest are selected to race. The majority, who are not fast enough, are killed.

Hakol Chai compiled data from professional veterinary journals showing that 100% of race horses suffer from chronic ulcers, and 82% suffer from hemorrhaging in the lungs. Hakol Chai filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, which will be heard in mid-December.

Photo: Animal Aid		Photo: Animal Aid

"Humans are not treated this way."

In the context of the struggle that opened yesterday, Hakol Chai argues that the activities at the racetrack, as well as its "launching," planned for Succot, are illegal, both with regard to the cruelty to animals and to the planning and construction. Hakol Chai discovered that the work at the site, including leveling the ground, paving the roads, and erecting fences are illegal because the organizers failed to obtain construction permits.

The charity argues that the event planned for Succot does not have the necessary approvals required by law. As part of an extensive effort to prevent the races, the organization's legal advisors also approached Environment Minister Gideon Ezra, warning that the racetrack organizers plan to build a temporary pedestrian bridge across Hakishon, which separates the parking lots from the racing complex. "The plan to build a temporary bridge is a sad reminder of the tragedy following the construction of the temporary bridge for the Maccabi games [an international Jewish athletic event similar to the Olympics] a few years ago," said Tali Lavie, the charity's spokeswoman. [The Maccabi bridge collapsed, killing at least 4 and injuring as many as 70 others, some critically.]

At the same time, Hakol Chai approached the Minister of Education and Culture, Prof. Yuli Tamir, requesting that she immediately take action to cancel the plan of the Regional Council of Gilboa to use students in rehearsals for the racetrack launching ceremony during school time, a plan that would violate Ministry of Education regulations.

The Gilboa Regional Council responded furiously to the provocative attempt, as they termed it, of Hakol Chai activists to sabotage the establishment of the racetrack and to prevent the race planned for Succot. "This is a unique project that will provide thousands of jobs to residents of the northern region, and will teach youth the love of horses in particular and animals in general," said Danny Atar, Head of the Gilboa Council. "The horses are taken care of at the highest professional level in the world, including quality veterinary treatment. The bedding the horses will stand on will be replaced twice a day. Is this cruelty? Humans are not treated this way.

"We received authorizations from Magen David Adom and the Fire Department to hold the race during Succot. The police have already inspected the area and we will receive the final authorization in the next few days. The Drainage Authority has approved the embankment on Hakishon, and a few days ago, we moved the children's rehearsal to the afternoon.

"All the arguments of the animal organization are unsubstantiated. There is no opportunism here. Everything is authorized and well planned to ensure a respectable, large function. We are only interested in the horses' wellbeing. The racetrack ensures an educational process for youth, in the course of which they will learn how to take care of horses. Their relationship with horses will grow and they will certainly prevent any abuse or cruelty toward them."

NRG is the online edition of Ma'ariv, the second most widely read newspaper in Israel.