In local municipal tradition, young & old alike, are invited to Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square, to battle each other in the scorching heat with water pistols & balloons, using square’s fountain as ammunition!

By Gilad Morag

Tel Aviv‘s annual water battle has returned. Like every summer, Friday afternoon saw hundreds of Tel Avivians of all ages swarm to the city’s Rabin Square. They came armed with squirt guns, water balloons, buckets and heavy water canons.

Water war. Rabin Square (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

At 3 pm, when the bell was sounded, all mayhem broke loose. Learning the lesson from years past, those attending where requested to leave their electronic devices at home, less they fall victim to water’s destructive capabilities.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Water clashes spill onto street (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Bus under attack (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Young, old come together to fight heat (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Rabin Square. Tel Aviv. Summer 2013 (Photo: Yaron Brenner)

The event is held now nine years in a row and its organizers go to great lengths to stress before participant that every water oriented weapon and water dispersing mean is encouraged.

Avner Goren, one of the organizers, told Ynet: “The water battle is held every year as an attempt to overcome the heat. It began as a group who just wanted to have some fun and then last year some 2000 people showed up. We know we are wasting water, and hence we only use water from the fountain which is undrinkable.

“But remember,” he stresses, “leave your phone at home!”

The battle itself is anything but a focused direct assault; rather it is a everyone against everyone free-for-all lasting until the late evening.

View original Ynet publication at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4401439,00.html