Israeli Arab Footballers Urged to Embrace Identity in National Teams

A recent BBC article highlighted the complex relationship between Arab and Jewish players within Israeli national football teams, featuring an interview with Biram Kayal, a former Israeli national player and current official for Arab football development within the Israeli Football Association. Kayal, who also serves as an assistant to Boni Ginzburg, the technical director of youth teams, acknowledged the challenges faced by Arab citizens in Israel, stating, "Being Arab in Israel is sometimes difficult. Sometimes it is a struggle. In terms of opportunities, sometimes we are not at the same starting point."

Despite these difficulties, Kayal expressed optimism for a pluralistic future for Israel, emphasizing football's role as a unifying force. He recalled his playing days with Tomer Hemed, noting, "When I played with Tomer Hemed, he prayed with a kippah and I prayed to Allah. He was my teammate and he is my brother. In football, on the pitch, you never look at color, culture, or religion. You just want the best people around you to win the game."

The BBC report also touched upon the 2018 Nation-State Law, which downgraded Arabic's official status, and the subsequent initiative by the Football Association to offer Hebrew classes to Arabic-speaking coaches to help them obtain certification. However, Kayal asserted his commitment to preserving Arab identity within the association. "Not in our house," he stated when asked about prioritizing Hebrew. "I am in the Association to bring the culture of the Arab public to the table."

Kayal concluded by encouraging Arab players joining national teams to express themselves authentically. "I tell the Arab players when they come to the national team: 'Speak your language, don't be afraid, don't be ashamed to speak, don't be afraid to express yourselves. Israel is a young country. We need to learn from our DNA, see the differences between Jews, Circassians, Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Druze, all the colors, connect everything together and learn what we can do better,'" he said.