Over the weekend, Jerusalem played host to some of the world’s fastest race cars in a showcase event that brought together some of the greatest stars in the sport. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, “Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella [drove] a Ferrari F1 car around the city circuit. Retired Italian motorcycle racer Massimiliano “the Roman Emperor” Biaggi, winner of the 2012 World Superbike Championship…put on a show.” The event, titled The Peace Road Show, took place over June 13-14 and saw over 240,000 spectators in attendance.
Fisichella said, “It was really a fantastic and incredible feeling. Driving in front of so many people in such a historic place was very exciting, as, indeed, was visiting the Old City this morning. It’s been a truly memorable day for me.”
Participating vehicles included Ferrari, Audi and Mercedes, as well as a car designed and built by Ben Gurion University and Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design students for a recent competition in Italy, which saw them place 11th out of 50 competing teams.
The event was a co-production of the Jerusalem municipality and Kaspersky Lab, a computer security company. The resulting festivities lived up to their name: Jewish, Muslim and Christian spectators stood side-by-side to enjoy the event. As one fan pointed out, “All we have all the time is fighting, fighting and fighting, but everyone is here together and happy – Muslims, Christians and Orthodox Jews,” he said. “There are no fights.” Another said, “This clearly isn’t a picture of apartheid, is it?” Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed that there were no reported incidents of violence during the two-day showcase.
The F1 route ran from the Cinematheque to Sultan’s Pool, on to the Tower of David, through Mamilla Boulevard, past the King David Hotel, on to Liberty Bell Park, by the Old Train Station, and back to the Cinematheque. Many thoroughfares in and around the city were closed for the two days.
Mayor Nir Barkat expressed his hope that the road show would boost the economy and tourism, as well as the city’s image around the world. “Jerusalem has 5,000 years of history but it cannot and must not stand still, instead it must embrace the modern day. Ours is a city that is open to everyone and it is important to send a message of peace without any political meaning,” he said.
