Jerusalem, a city like none other, possesses holy religious sites and constant social conflict. It is the center of the Arab-Israeli conflict, with members of each group struggling to coexist with the other. 65 years have passed since the declaration of the State of Israel, yet the Arabs and Israelis have not come to terms on any sort of permanent peace agreement. Part of the struggle in Jerusalem, over the years, has been radical groups on each side taking the conflict to new heights. Jihadist organizations such as The Muslim Brotherhood have used terrorism in order to instill fear in the Jews. The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, in Israel and abroad, has used propaganda and an ultra-conservative lifestyle in order to isolate themselves from the rest of the Jewish population. By doing so, both groups have enabled negative stereotypes to be placed on their respective religions. In the middle of all of this conflict stands professional soccer. Jerusalem and its two professional soccer teams, HaPoel Jerusalem FC and Beitar Jerusalem FC, have been affected and do affect the Arab-Israeli conflict surrounding them. Each team represents a different social group, with different belief systems and political supporters. With so much emphasis placed on the teams, politicians have used each fan base to represent their own party’s beliefs. Beitar Jerusalem has been linked to right-wing anti-Arab groups since its founding, while HaPoel Jerusalem has represented left-wing Israeli workers unions. The prevalent political ties to Jerusalem’s professional soccer teams have only further complicated the already hostile Arab-Israeli conflict.
Starting during the British control of Palestine, political leaders have supported separate soccer teams in ...
... middle of paper ...
...rivalry, and helped me better explain HaPoel Jerusalem’s effect on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Both authors agree that this soccer rivalry has only further complicated the conflict happening in Jerusalem. It has brought a somewhat looming conflict to the homes of everyday Israelis and Arabs. As time progresses, and Israel’s statehood continues to be questioned, the role of the Beitar-HaPoel rivalry will continue to be felt in the Israeli Knesset.
Works Cited
Greenberg, Joel. “Soccer racism raises concern in Israel.” Washington Post, February 11, 2013.
E:60. Episode no. 95, first broadcast 6 November 2012 by ESPN. Directed by Jeremy Schaap.
Tamir Sorek, “Soccer Fandom and Citizenship in Israel,” Middle East Report 245 (2007): 21.
Amir Ben-Porat, “Oh Beitar Jerusalem: The Burning Bush Protest,” The International Journal of the History of Sport 18:4 (2001): 135.
Elias Chocour’s novel, Blood Brothers, represents his point of view on the contemporary Palestinian position regarding the holy land of Israel. The book traces the transformation of Chocour’s life, from a Melkite Christian Palestinian boy into a powerful spiritual leader and innovative agent in facilitating better race relations in the region. He shows how Palestinian’ needs were left out during the formation of the State of Israel, and how their plight is highly misunderstood, and often grossly distorted because of ignorance. Chocour’s depiction of the problem facing non-Jews is highly illuminating, and Blood Brothers will dispel many illusions and fallacies that cloud the facts surrounding the status of Israel’s inhabitants.
According to Shlaim, the conflict begins during World War 1 when the British made various promises to both Jews and Arabs while simultaneously plotting with the French to divide all the territory into spheres of influence . The British assumed that Palestinians and Jews could leave peaceably in a single state, but Britain's obligation to the Jews could only be met at the expense of the Arab majority. The British carved up the territories under their mandate without regard for religious, ethnic, or linguistic composition of their inhabitants.
As Foer explored the world, he unraveled the mysteries of how a sport can unite people, whom wouldn’t otherwise be, over a common cause. His adventure began in the former Yugoslavian state of Serbia. There, he reconnoitered “hooliganism” and its impact on the general population of the former Yugoslavia and on the world of soccer. That impact was felt
Al Michaels, Henry Tevers, and Brian Green. CBS, New York. 26 Nov. 1998.
This marked the beginning of the Palestine armed conflict, one of its kinds to be witnessed in centuries since the fall of the Ottoman Empire and World War 1. Characterized by a chronology of endless confrontations, this conflict has since affected not only the Middle East relations, but also the gl...
Cleveland, William L. A History of the Modern Middle East. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 2000.
Main Events in the history of Jerusalem. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2011, from Century One Educational Bookstore: http://www.centuryone.com/hstjrslm.html
Rubner, Michael. " Massacre in Munich: The Manhunt for the Killers Behind the 1972 Olympics Massacre/One Day in September: The Full Story of the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and the Israeli Revenge Operation "Wrath of God,"/Striking Back: The 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and Israel's Deadly Response/Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team." Middle East Policy 13.2 (2006): 176-84.
Prior to and after WWI the world saw a rise in nationalistic sentiments. The Middle East was not immune to this new ideology. Although Arab Nationalism had a start in the Ottoman Empire, its rise among the masses did not begin until after WWI. While a total rise in Arab Nationalism became apparent on the Arabian Peninsula, a separate nationalist movement began in Palestine as a way to combat a unique and repressive situation. In Palestine the British mandate, along with British support, and the world's support for Zionist immigration into Palestine, caused a number of European Zionists to move into the country. These factors created an agitated atmosphere among Palestinians. Although there was more than one factor in creating a Palestinian-centered Arab Nationalism, the mounting Zionist immigration was among the most prevalent of forces.
...ws. July 1, 1996: 38+. Sports. Eleanor Goldstein. Vol. 5. Boca Raton: SIRS, 1996. Art. 13.
In 1095, Jerusalem was a flourishing city that was the main powerhouse for three religions; all three religions wanted complete control over the holy land. These three religions were Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and all three religions were known to use Jerusalem as a place of religious reasons. But in turn, the best part about Jerusalem was the political power it held. Pope Urban’s demand for power and Jewish Israel’s desire to control Palestinians are the factors in the political conflict over the holy land.
Since the Arabs were living in Palestine when the Ottoman Empire control it. Since the Arabs defeated the Ottoman Empire with the help of from Germany, “Just short of 6 months the Palestinians were crushed, militarily and psychologically” (document 8) On the other hand, Israel grew beyond the partition lines, gained more defensible borders and they destroyed Arab homes reducing their population. The Palestinians rightly felt that the Israelis were taking over the area and were pushing out of lands promised to them in both the Balfour Declaration and the UN 1947 Partition.
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is a complex movement, which stumbles from one setback to another. The PLO was riven with factionalism; it pursued revolution and diplomacy as if there were no contradiction between the terms. Then, at the moment of winning recognition from Israel, it seemed poised to lose its most precious asset - the support of the Palestinian people, whom it sought to serve. Barry Rubin wrote a history of the PLO in which he investigates and interprets its political circumstances, strategies, and doctrines from their inception in the late 1950s to the events of 1993 culminating in the Rabin-Arafat handshake on the White House lawn. His book aims to offer a general account of the organization’s history and politics. The task of illustrating the incompetence and corruption of the PLO and its leaders is not difficult, and Rubin seemed to have pursued this task with enthusiasm.
Known as the world’s most popular sport, professional soccer has helped create and define different groups of people around the world for longer than a century. The hoopla surrounding teams, geographic areas fans dwell in, and political ideals associated with individual clubs have carved an identity for millions of supporters whose heart and soul becomes dedicated to their favorite players, stadiums, and coaches. Soccer teams and their fans can give us a window into how people can be divided and defined by their allegiances and ideals, and why those with similar views band together to create a familiar environment for themselves.
Globalization is erasing country borders. It’s expanding something to a worldwide scale, and generally making the world a little bit smaller. When you think of globalization in terms of sports, the best example is soccer. Soccer is something that started in 1863 as a simple game played in England by people of humble beginnings and not long after that turned into a worldwide phenomenon (Parrish). Soccer has over 3.5 billion fans worldwide. When you really think about that number you realize how big of a deal that is. That’s about 50% of the world’s population. Meaning that 1 in every 2 people watch, play, and generally enjoy soccer. The globalization aspect of it comes in when you know that its regional popularity is in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas: basically, almost the entire world.