Current sectionIsrael NewsTravel in IsraelThe reopening of a rare free public beach in Tiberias has divided the city, after ultra-Orthodox demands for modesty prompted the overnight installation of barriers and hedges. Secular residents call it religious coercion; both sides say they will not back downShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeEitan Leshem05:07 PM • July 27 2026 IDTResidents of Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel, waited a long time for Trapezoid Beach to reopen. But the festive opening of a beach that is free to enter – no small thing in Tiberias – quickly turned into a clash between religious and secular residents. Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Sea of GalileeHaredim Israeli politicsWomen's rightsHuman rightsJudaismCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesWest BankNetanyahuIranKarim KhanGadi EisenkotIsrael ElectionsHaQuizHaaretz PodcastIsrael to Release 60 Palestinian Detainees to Gaza From Israeli FacilitiesHow a Battle Over Modesty Erupted at a Sea of Galilee BeachThree Months to Israel's Election: Why Is Netanyahu Really Going to Washington?Iran Says It Still Controls Hormuz, Not Seeking Talks After Trump Halts StrikesFrench DJ Barbara Butch's Original Sin? Being JewishRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIIsrael's Far Right Is Repeating the Sin That Brought Down the TempleAn Israeli Election Surprise Called the DemocratsEd Miliband, the U.K.'s New Foreign Secretary – and His History With IsraelTwo Israelis, Four Palestinians Killed in Clash After Settlers Enter TownWith the West Bank Primed to Explode, Israel's Government Sees an OpportunityBiden Officials Now Regret What They Let Israel Do in Gaza. Does It Matter?