An article by Yoav Borowitz in Hebrew Haaretz, translated by Sol Salbe on his facebook page. Salbe says if you ever need an example of “hafrada,” or separation, this is it:
However, a very large community will not be part of this celebration, a community that in effect has not been part of the Olympic celebration for eight consecutive Olympics. Zero Arab athletes represent Israel in London. Zero, even though the Arabs in Israel number 1.67 million people, approximately 20.5 per cent of the population. In all of its years of existence Israel has been represented by 338 athletes in 19 different Olympics. But only two Arab-Israelis have been privileged to participate in Olympic delegations – soccer star Rifat Turk (Montreal, 1976) and weightlifter Edward Maron (Rome, 1960).
This topic has never come up on the public agenda in Israel. Sports ministers have never said a word about it, nor have the heads of national Olympic Committee, or even the media or elected officials ever uttered a word about it. Amazingly, no one can even recall Arab Israelis raising the issue, as if they expect to be excluded from official delegations that represent the state
yeah, but uncle sam will be running a wacko evangelical in the marathon
Really? No Palestinians? How is it surprising that the Israeli team is comprised of Israelis? As for the supposed scandal that there are no ethnic ARABS on the team, someone would have to put forth the names of Arabs that should have been on the team but were excluded.
Here is the continuation of the
article
“Sport is indeed the closest thing to meritocracy only one’s ability counts. Had there been a good enough Arab athlete meeting the Israeli and international criteria, she or he would certainly be representing Israel in London. But it is clear that the absence of such an such athlete is not indicative of the lack of talent or the zeal to train hard within the Arab community as far as sport is concerned. The root of the problem is that there are no facilities, coaches or infrastructure for almost any sport in any Arab village or town. The only area in which little money, and a lot of goodwill, is invested is soccer. So today 15 per cent of Premier League footballers are Israeli Arabs.”
So indeed there is a problem that there aren’t enough Arab athletes
that meet the Olympic criteria which is the states responsibility.
Btw the investments in sports in Israel are notoriously low so the
Arab sector are in a “good” company here since the Jewish athletes
always suffer from the lack of funds from the state.
There are Arab athletes that play for the national soccer team.
Soccer is the most popular sport among the Arab population of Israel (Jewish as well)
and it does produce large numbers of gifted athletes (soccer is supported by the private sector for a large part).
I would also like to add the any Arab athlete representing Israel in the Olympics
would get tons if flak from the Arab representatives in the Knesset.
This article condemns Israel for the lack of Arab athletes in it’s Olympics team.
But if there were any then
this very site would accuse Israel in an attempt to “sportwash” it’s
crimes against the Palestinians by adding token Arab athletes to it’s national team.
A nice win win situation isn’t it…
>> This article condemns Israel for the lack of Arab athletes in it’s Olympics team. But if there were any then this very site would accuse Israel in an attempt to “sportwash” it’s crimes against the Palestinians by adding token Arab athletes to it’s national team.
Good point. But if Israel were a secular, democratic and egalitarian state of and for all Israelis, equally, none of this would be an issue at all.
Unfortunately, Israel is instead an oppressive, colonialist, expansionist and Jewish supremacist state; born of Jewish terrorism and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homes and lands; and maintained and expanded by means of a 60+ years, ON-GOING and offensive (i.e., not defensive) campaign of aggression, oppression, theft, colonization, destruction and murder.
No amount of indignation – fake or genuine – changes that fact.
“as if they expect to be excluded from official delegations that represent the state”
No duh, Yoav. I wonder maybe it’s cuz your people did something to them? And perhaps it could be linked to the fact that even as a purportedly progressive Zionist you refuse to recognize them as a people (“Zero Arab athletes,” “Arab-Israelis,” “Arabs in Israel”)?
Get a mirror, Borowitz.