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In Scotland, Israel Denounced for ‘Apartheid’; Its Soccer Team Begs to Differ

Sep 15, 2020 10:00 am By Hugh Fitzgerald 28 Comments

“Apartheid.” An “Apartheid State.” Israel=South Africa. It’s one of the constant themes of the Anti-Israel International. At a soccer game in Scotland, outside the stadium where an Israeli team was playing, the pro-Palestinian protesters were out in force, unfurling their Palestinian flags, and yet again denouncing the “apartheid” of the only state in the Middle East where people of all religions and ethnicities are treated equally. Here’s the story of that Israeli soccer team.

Friday evening. It was in the 72nd minute of a game between Israel and Scotland (the Celtics) in the Nation’s League. Israel had a throw-in deep in the Scottish half. There was a quick one-two between the Israeli number seven and their number nine. Goal! And the score was 1:1.

No this is not going to be a post about soccer, but that move, slicing apart the Scottish defense, is important here. The two players involved were Israel’s Eran Zahavi and Moanes Dabour. Dabour is an Israeli Muslim. The Israeli team captain Bibras Natkho is also from a Muslim family. There are also other Arab Israelis in the squad, such as Joel Abu Hanna (who was a substitute). Left back Taleb Tawatha is an Israeli Bedouin. Hatem Abu Elhamed is an Israeli Arab. Elhamed also plays for the rival Celtics, alongside another Israeli — Nir Biton.

Outside the ground, there was an anti-Israel demonstration shouting about Israeli “apartheid.” A group of Celtic supporters had arrived to protest too. Just one look at the team sheet exposes that disgraceful smear for the antisemitic hate-filled lie that it clearly is. The Muslim and Jewish players on the Israeli team all live in the same country under the same laws. They all vote and have representation in the Middle East’s only democracy. Israel’s Arabs are, by a country mile, living in the freest nation in the region….

“The day started with extremists vandalizing the entrance to the stadium. Activists had smeared red paint across the floor and written the words “Palestinian blood” on the walls….

“When Scotland played the serial human rights abuser Russia, there was no protest. In 2015, Scotland played Qatar — and the Scottish activists made no complaint. Only when the Jewish state sends its football team do Scotland’s “human rights” activists turn up to demonstrate….

“Apartheid” in Israel. Let’s take another look at the Israeli soccer team. There is the Jewish player Eran Zahavi, who with his teammate Moanes Dabour, an Israeli Muslim, “sliced through” the Scottish Celtic defense. The Israeli team captain, Bibras Natkho, is a Circassian Muslim. Joel Abu Hanna and Hatem Abu Elhamed are both Israeli Arabs. Loai Taha is another Israeli Arab who has been called up to play for the National Team. Left back Taleb Tawatha is an Israeli Bedouin. Eli Dasa is an Ethiopian Jew. There was no apartheid among the Israelis playing inside the stadium, though the shrill cries of “apartheid” could be heard outside. And there is no “apartheid” in any of the other sports teams that Israel sends abroad.

Nor is there any “apartheid” anywhere in Israel. Jews and Arabs study together in the same universities, work in the same factories and offices, are treated in the same hospitals, play on the same sports teams and in the same orchestras. As citizens of the Middle East’s only democracy, Arabs have exactly the same civil and religious rights as Jews. Arabs sit in the Knesset, where the Arab Joint List constitutes the third largest political bloc, and the current Deputy Speaker is an Arab. Arabs serve on the Supreme Court. Arabs represent their country, Israel, abroad as high-ranking diplomats. The only difference in the treatment of Jews and Arabs in Israel is this: Arabs are exempt from the requirement that they serve in the IDF, though they are welcome to do so. Hundreds of Muslim Bedouins, and Christian Arabs, as well as an increasing number of Muslim Arabs, are now soldiers – and officers – in the IDF.

None of that will make any difference to most of those outside that Scottish stadium screaming about “Israel an apartheid state.” But still, let’s not leave the field to them, nor ignore the large number of uncommitted onlookers who are not sure what to believe. The next time such an unsavory scene materializes, outside a sports stadium or a music festival where Israelis may be participating, and the squalid squad of “Israel=Apartheid” demonstrators shows up, defenders of Israel should come ready with a prepared pamphlet of facts, to hand out both to those who are busy denouncing Israel, and to those who don’t know quite what to think, and have never been given the facts that expose the full absurdity of that “apartheid charge.” That page, or possibly two, will contain critical “anti-apartheid information.” This would include a list of the names of the nearly one hundred Arabs who have served in the Knesset, including Ahmad Tibi, the current Deputy Speaker, the names the Arabs who have served on Israel’s Supreme Court (Abdel Rahman Zuaibi, Salim Joubran, and George Kara), the names of Arabs who have served as Israel’s diplomats, the names of Arab Israelis who have gained prominence at Israeli universities, and the names of those Arab doctors, in Israel, like the much-praised five doctors in the Majadlas family, who are on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The same information could be displayed on placards held up to the faces of the anti-Israel demonstrators – these facts that will then be hard to miss or dismiss, and impossible to explain away.

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Filed Under: Featured, Hugh Fitzgerald, Israel, Scotland Tagged With: Eran Zahavi


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Comments

  1. Jayell says

    Sep 15, 2020 at 10:35 am

    Scotland’s Justice Secretary – Humza Yousaf, a disciple of the Prophet Mohammed, I believe. Perhaps that y goes a long way towards explaining this story.

    Reply
    • FYI says

      Sep 15, 2020 at 1:37 pm

      Isn’t this the same islamic creature that is behind the hate crime and public order bill in Scotland?

      A pakistani MUSLIM politician with their usual taqiyya-infected tongues behind plans to introduce ‘hate crime’ laws.

      See these islamic cockroaches get into positions of power!

      What are the odds eh?

      A MUSLIM pushing for laws which would SILENCE criticism of the murder cult of islam with its child raping ‘prophet’ muhmmed,bogus koran ,apartheid system and jihadist ideology.

      Just what these political muslims want.That aids religious islam.

      Bearing false witness{like murder and rape} are islamic specialities.Especially the pakistani version:no surprise these barbarians are in a position to demolish free speech.

      Hopefully the people of Scotland will wise up to the likes of Yousaf:muslims have an AGENDA and islam is not about freedom or democracy.

      Reply
      • FYI says

        Sep 15, 2020 at 1:54 pm

        Humza Yousaf represents the smiley,disgustingly ugly face, of political islam

        “We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them”
        Abu Ad Dardai

        Bearing false witness to promote islam is permitted{koran 3:28}

        What political islam wants is to stop criticism of islam by making it out to be ‘hate speech’ or pretending it is about racism{but islam is not a race and it is not ‘hate speech’ to be critical of any religion}
        There is no such thing as ‘islamophobia’.This is made up.

        Yousaf’s agenda is a MUSLIM one:the goal of political islam is subversion{and religious islam seeks the global caliphate} and to do this they need to silence dissent or criticism of islam.

        Please if you are in Scotland,don’t be fooled by these muslim liars.

        Fight for free speech.

        Free speech will be undermined by such unjust ‘hate speech’ laws:that’s what muslims want!

        All muslims will have to do is say’ the prophet was insulted’,’the koran was insulted’ and they WILL take advantage of our hard-won democratic freedoms to silence us using such perverse laws.

        Reply
        • R Russell says

          Sep 15, 2020 at 6:22 pm

          We can’t fight for free speech. Nicola Sturgeon has taken it from us in an endeavour to win the Muslim vote and stay in power.
          Pray for us.

        • FYI says

          Sep 15, 2020 at 6:48 pm

          @R Russell

          Of course we appear to be living in a Globalist NWO dictatorship but don’t give up just yet:I’m sure you know there is more to all this than meets the eye.I can do better than ‘pray for us’.
          The keyword is Parousia …and you need to read 2 Thessalonians 2/I Thessalonians 5 { and 2 Timothy 3 v 1-7 and Matthew 24 esp v 10-14}

          I’m not in any church.I just read the Bible on my own and you can read it all yourself….for free…: don’t despair.

        • Jayell says

          Sep 16, 2020 at 1:57 pm

          Actually, what is a muslim doing as a ‘Justice’ Secretary or indeed anything to do with the Law in this part of the world? Aren’t they supposed to believe in the ‘Law of Allah’ and reject anything to do with Democratic law? So it’s this specimen a bit of a fraud?

      • Check Burry says

        Sep 16, 2020 at 4:06 am

        Excellent post, yes Ive listened to this guy, very domineering, narrow views, possibly a little bigoted, lol.

        Reply
    • gravenimage says

      Sep 15, 2020 at 10:19 pm

      Thanks for that sickening information, Jayell.

      Here’s more on this stealth Jihadist:

      “SNP Justice Secretary defends opting Scotland out of ‘Jeremy Kyle’ lie detector tests for terrorists”

      https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/09/03/snp-justice-secretary-defends-opting-scotland-jeremy-kyle-lie/

      And then he grotesquely claimed that he was in physical danger from someone pointing out he was soft on Jihad terror after the attacks on Paris.

      Reply
      • David says

        Sep 16, 2020 at 11:09 am

        Let’s hope he lives in fear, like the rest of us, but for different reasons.

        Reply
    • LB says

      Sep 16, 2020 at 7:47 am

      You do realize the entire UK governing body is infested with muslims, right? It’s not just Scotland.

      Reply
      • gravenimage says

        Sep 16, 2020 at 10:21 pm

        Too true.

        Reply
  2. RichardL says

    Sep 15, 2020 at 11:57 am

    so, what is the difference between an “Israeli Arab”, an “Israeli Muslim” and an “Israeli Bedouin” and a “Christian Arab”? I really like Hugh’s stuff, but I would like to hear a criterion for his categories. I really, really dislike the use of the term ”Arab” for Muslim, but that doesn’t seem to be the logic here.

    Reply
    • gravenimage says

      Sep 15, 2020 at 10:23 pm

      Richard, Hugh Fitzgerald is pointing out that Israel is *not* an apartheid state, in part because there is no prejudice on her Soccer team. The idea that pointing this out is somehow illogical makes no sense.

      Reply
      • RichardL says

        Sep 16, 2020 at 2:24 pm

        I am referring to the totally incoherent use of Arab and Bedouin. An Arab is a semite and thus an Israeli Arab is a semite semite, unless the term means Muslim. Then we have a Christian Muslim in the mix as well

        Reply
        • gravenimage says

          Sep 16, 2020 at 10:22 pm

          There are no Christian Muslims–there are Christian Arabs, but that is a very different matter.

  3. Ray Jarman says

    Sep 15, 2020 at 12:35 pm

    To add a little more to the defense of Israeli inclusiveness, Hugh forgot to mention that after the establishment of the Jewish State, all people were given the option to become Israeli citizens in 1948. The Arabs Muslims flatly turned down the offer but the Druze accepted the offer immediately. Since then, the Druze have been completely integrated into the Israeli society. They quickly became members of the IDF and many were commissioned as officers within the forces. It reminds me of the Truman administration offering every nation in Europe affected by the war to participate in the Marshall Plan to which Stalin and his forced cordon sanitaire states said ‘het’ and declined the offer.

    It is as if the Palestinians had rather wallow in their own created mire than to move forward and prosper. The Israeli football team certainly demonstrates what could have been and it is still not to late for all to become inclusive within the world of prosperity. The Egyptians, Jordanians, UAE and people of Bahrain are indicators that Jews and Arabs can live on the same planet in close proximity to one another.

    Reply
  4. Rarely says

    Sep 15, 2020 at 2:51 pm

    Try to make sense out of anti-Semitism. Just can’t be done. Unhappy? Its got to be the Jews. It’s a bit amazing that 14,000,000 people have been able to cause ALL the World’s problems. Such power!!!

    Reply
    • gravenimage says

      Sep 15, 2020 at 10:23 pm

      Grimly hilarious, Rarely.

      Reply
    • David says

      Sep 17, 2020 at 7:03 am

      Could we suggest that most of the problems in the World at the moment are caused by the ‘Religion of Peace’? (Oh the Irony)

      Reply
      • gravenimage says

        Sep 17, 2020 at 4:55 pm

        Yes–the biggest threat in the world today, by far.

        Reply
  5. R Russell says

    Sep 15, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    ‘The Celtics’ are Not the same as the Scotland team.
    Celtic is one of the teams in the premier league.
    The Scotland team is made up (potentially) of players from various teams.

    Reply
    • Ecosse1314 says

      Sep 17, 2020 at 10:25 am

      And are still useless. Some fans of Glasgow Celtic are notorious for being extremely left-wing.

      Reply
  6. gravenimage says

    Sep 15, 2020 at 10:12 pm

    In Scotland, Israel Denounced for ‘Apartheid’; Its Soccer Team Begs to Differ
    …………….

    Appalling calumny against the only democracy in the Middle East.

    Reply
  7. j c a reid says

    Sep 16, 2020 at 7:07 am

    A few years ago in the United Nations, the Algerian Delegation hit at the Israeli Delegation for their view on Arabs & how they were treated in Israel. An Israeli simply replied, “Tell us all, how are the Jews getting on in Algeria?” The reply, ….. Complete Silence. Arabs in Israel, sit in the Knesset, excused Military Service, can attend Universities, without fear or, discrimination. They’re not denied sustenance or Medical Treatment. A far cry if there was significant Jewish minorities in Muslim Lands.
    I can recall in Damascus, Syria, 1941, when the North African Campaign was going really well for the German General, Rommel, the Arabs rose up & massacred 1500 Jews. It took the British 2 days to restore Order.
    If Rommel had succeeded, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Middle Eastern Jews would be have been wiped out.
    In either late 2019, or early 2020, I saw a TV Programme. The Interviewee was the Leader of the Christian Coptic Church in Egypt. He was being asked what it felt like to have the money on the contract to murder him raised from US $6 Million, to $16 Million, by…. the Muslims.
    The Religion of Peace & Tolerance – don’t make me laugh.

    Reply
  8. OLD GUY says

    Sep 16, 2020 at 11:07 am

    The islamic/muslim migration invasion is vary apparent throughout the EU. The European countries are being changed into Islamic states and will become a threat to all other freedom loving people of the world.

    Reply
  9. Amjad Ayub Mirza says

    Sep 16, 2020 at 4:08 pm

    Muslims don’t like democracy they prefer theocracy and the rule of one person called Khalifa, that is the reason they hate the only democracy in the Middle East which is Israel.

    Reply
    • David says

      Sep 17, 2020 at 7:10 am

      What you say is partly true, but it is not to do with Democracy. It is to do with the Koran saying “Kill all Jews! They are the lowest of all creatures” Correct me if I have misquoted.

      Reply
    • gravenimage says

      Sep 17, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      You are both right. Muslims hate Jews–they also hate freedom and democracy.

      Reply

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