Police Battle 4×4 Beach Vehicles

Police have opened a major operation against drivers of 4×4 vehicles, motorcycles and small go-karts who drive along Israel’s beaches. The drivers have become “a major scourge,” according to police, with some confronting police violently when they are asked to stop driving on the beach.

Officials said that besides annoying and frightening beachgoers, the drivers were also damaging the environment and the balance of nature. The summer, for example, is a period when turtles nest on the shore and lay eggs, and the drivers often run roughshod over nests, the officials said.

In recent weeks, police have seized nearly two dozen vehicles and issued numerous summonses. Each summons carries with it a fine of between NIS 750 and NIS 2,000.