A tale of two promenades – Nice and Tel Aviv

For anyone who has spent time on Tel Aviv’s packed Herbert Samuel beach promenade, the parallels with Nice’s Promenade des Anglais, the site of Thursday’s deadly truck attack, are striking. Both walkways border the Mediterranean and host ample foot traffic from locals and tourists seeking to feel the sea breeze. Moreover, both locations host large public events such as France’s Bastille and Tel Aviv’s Gay Pride parade.

Tel Aviv’s promenade, commonly referred to as the ‘Tayelet’ stretches for 4.6 kilometers from the entrance of Jaffa’s Old City in the south to Tel Aviv’s 1930s-era port, called the Hanamal, in the north of the city.

Although the Tayelet has experienced numerous terrorist attacks including a stabbing spree in March of this year, beachgoers appear unfazed by security concerns at home and are not drawing a comparison between Nice and Tel Aviv.

At the beginning of the week, the beach was full of umbrellas. Pedestrians were threatened only by a speeding electric cyclist occasionally veering off the bike path and nearly hitting a slow-moving baby stroller.

According to Tel Aviv police spokesman, Chief Superintendent Hila Hamo, there has been no change to the security coordination on the Tayelet following the Bastille Day ramming attack in Nice.

Bari Zinner, co-owner of the Israel Surf Club adjacent to the Tayelet, told The Jerusalem Post he feels secure in the area.

“Israeli security is the best in the world... I feel completely safe.”

Nice’s Promenade des Anglais also differs from Tel Aviv’s Tayelet in that the Promenade des Anglais is wider with less obstacles, providing a clearer path for a large vehicle like the one used by Nice terrorist Muhammad Bouhlel. Although the Tayelet’s adjoining bike path is free of obstacles, the promenade itself is interspersed with cement benches, palm trees and lamp posts. These impediments would prevent an unobstructed ramming attack similar to what occurred in Nice.

Nevertheless, Hamo said that public spaces with large numbers of pedestrians like Tel Aviv’s Tayelet will always be a challenge to secure. “In both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, attacks occur on the walking paths... The police are constantly vigilant of the security at these locations.”