Anti-Arabism in Israeli Soccer 19 years, 3 months ago by Martey Dodoo

Haaretz reports on two soccer fans "concerned" about the religion of a Ghanaian player named Ismail Ido, who might join Betar Jerusalem, which describes itself as "Israel's most popular soccer team."

Tell me, why behave this way?"

"What do you mean, why? An Arab at Betar? They tried to bring us a Muslim. We've never accepted one and we never will, God forbid. We're Betar, not Maccabi, not Hapoel, and not even Bnei Yehuda, no way. We hate Arabs."

I found these bigots' conflation of Islam with Arabism (and later, with Hamas membership) most interesting. On a more positive note, Arab enlistment (of both Muslims and Christians) in the IDF is up.