A hummus owner joined the venture to help keep the business alive, but then a police officer arrived with a closure order and a fine. • The community rallied to help until the goods ran out
"I also found out at the police station that they had closed the business to me."
Ziver
Photography:
Private
Dotan Zeber, the owner of the "Inati" hummus in Yeruham, has faced a difficult reality in recent months, just like many of his fellow restaurateurs.
The same reality has caused and causes many of the restaurateurs to look for different ventures and different and varied ways to keep the business alive and keep the enterprise of their lives.
Zeber's story is similar to that of many restaurateurs, only this time it's a mess with the police, a fine, a closure order and an entire community that has rallied to help.
"A few days ago I was approached by a private entrepreneur named David Cohen, a former tourism man who also ran into difficulties due to the situation, and offered to take part in a project that promotes concept tours in the desert around Culinary and Wine. His project is designed to encourage tourism in the area. We are all. "
"He offered me to join the project and said he would come for a day of photography at Hummusia, in favor of atmospheric photography and image that will be included in the project. "The restrictions on filming hours completely closed the restaurant doors and we did not receive customers and orders. It is important for me to note that the couples who were from my nuclear family and close friends, who are in any case meet with me every day not at work. We did not bring outside people who could endanger anyone present."
From here, Zeber says, everything got complicated.
"Filming begins, I take out dishes towards the table, the photographer photographs the frame, the producer gives instructions and then suddenly a policeman walks by the hummus, stops next to us and tries to open the door, which was still locked due to the filming. We opened the door for him and then he says' what's going on here? Illegal, this is the gathering, you must disperse the occurrence immediately and I impose a fine of NIS 5,000 on the owner of the place.
"We tried to explain to him that this is a project of the whole space, of photography in all tourism and culinary businesses in the area, aimed at promoting the whole area, not even in my private initiative, but it is something larger and larger and nothing just interested him. David Cohen the developer of the project also tried He explained, but nothing helped. "
Apart from a fine of NIS 5,000, the policeman remained at the scene until all those present evacuated, then photographed Zeber and left.
"We were broken," Zeber continued.
"Business here is not rising and the policeman is still coming in and giving a fine. Our tourism director tried to help us and after about an hour I was at a hearing at the police station - also there they said 'it does not look good'. The photographer and producer testified in my favor and then the police agreed to waive the administrative closure "They did not agree to waive the fine. There I also found out that my business was closed immediately - this is not something the police officer told me during the event itself."
The community rallied and the goods ran out
Despite all of the above, the story before us is a good sequel, and that is solely thanks to the good people who heard about the fine.
"The rumor spread throughout Yeruham ... and there was a post by Hani Bariga, a resident of Yeruham in the group 'Everyone's Yeruham.' Ever since I opened the hummus.
"In order to support and pardon, a local initiative was created for closing the debt - the amazing residents of Yeruham collected over NIS 3,000 to help me close this debt.
At this point I have not yet taken the money, I believe in my innocence and therefore intend to appeal the report.
But the mobilization of the residents of the settlement warmed my heart, since they continue to pargan and come a lot to buy hummus dishes at takeaway, there is really great support from the community here - they are warm people, it is really not obvious, especially I am not a resident and I was exposed to this thing that moved me so much".
And what about the end of the story?
We will continue to update.
The Israel Police responded: "After a number of different cases in which the business owner was warned that he was violating the regulations and acting in violation of them, another violation was identified in the business when more than 10 people were around food and drink. The station commander decided, out of consideration for his financial situation, to warn him once again and allow him to act in accordance with the regulations only without ordering its closure.
It should be noted that, like any other person, the entire business may submit a request for a trial or cancellation of the report in the usual ways, and this will be examined and treated as usual. "