Nothing stopped the inauguration of Israel's first horse racetrack, not even rabbis and other angry protestors, as thousands of fans attended the new racetrack in the Gilboa region of northern Israel.
Protest came from various factors as one of the most important rabbis in Israel condemned the event and animal rights activists protested by breaking onto the track. They were eventually taken out by the police, who arrested five of them.
The event's turnout was a success according to organizers. Even though a large sign overlooking the new track informed the spectators that horse racing gambling is illegal in the country, investors say this shows that gambling in Israel should be legal and regulated.
In 2004, Israel's parliament, the Knesset, passed a law that allowed the construction of race tracks. This followed an appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court by animal rights activists, against the law. A hearing in the matter is scheduled in December.
Ronen Kristal, an Israeli businessman, who invested the first $700,000 (€560,000) in the new track, said other investors are waiting for gambling to become legal in Israel. According to Kristal, it would cost about $14 million (€11.2 million) to finish the project, which is expected to create about 3,500 jobs.
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