Just imagine the Los Angeles Lakers still refused to take on African American players…

Major news arose early in my time in Jerusalem: Beitar, the Jerusalem soccer team, desegregated for the first time in its history with the signing of two Muslim players from Chechnya- its first non-Jewish players in its 77 years.

The fans of the Beitar football team with the sign: “Beitar: Pure Forever”

In response, a portion of the Beitar fan base created a xenophobic uproar – “Beitar: pure forever.”  This disturbing image brings back shades of Nazism – from Jewish supporters of a Jewish sports team in Israel of all places…  It just goes to show that hatred comes from anybody at anytime.

A demonstration was put together to “say no to racism” in Israel with a number of influential speakers voicing their opinions on the subject.  I attended the rally at Teddy Stadium along with my two supervisors, Rebecca and Mohammad, decked out in our Kids4Peace T-shirts while Beitar played across the street.

Sadly, the demonstration was held on a freezing night and attracted small numbers, but the message was sent in front of numerous television cameras and newspaper reporters while a handful of angry fans yelled from the street and the stadium.  One line that I took to heart from the speakers: “Jerusalem shows the best of humanity and the worst of humanity.”

More recently, some Beitar fans torched the Beitar soccer offices – but this has only strengthened the resolve of the ownership of the team and the leadership of the country as even PM Netanyahu has now stepped up to speak out against the xenophobia.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/12/angry-fans-torch-jerusalem-soccer-offices-over-signing-of-two-muslim-players/