Former Footballer Tom Salah and Youth Leaders Confront Violence in New Initiative
Tom Salah, a former football player, social media influencer, and recent winner of "The Amazing Race Israel," joined a deep and open discussion at Netanya Stadium as part of the third episode of the "Taking Off the Gloves" series. The event, held in collaboration with Mizrahi Tefahot Bank and R.G.E., brought together Salah and three 17-year-old youth leaders from the National Student and Youth Council: Rotem Getraida (chair), Shira Perzem (Jerusalem representative), and Yehali Vaknin (Beersheba representative).
The young leaders shared personal stories of bullying and emotional wounds that motivated them to lead change. Yehali Vaknin recounted enduring five years of bullying in elementary school, including social exclusion and humiliation. Shira Perzem described her difficult experience in seventh grade, facing social isolation, physical violence, and neglect from teachers, which inspired her to create a project training high school students to recognize and support peers in distress.
During the conversation, Yehali asked Salah about his experience with violence in Israeli sports. Salah revealed that after a critical mistake in a Premier League match, he was chased by fans outside the stadium and subjected to verbal abuse, an experience that left a lasting impact. He emphasized the importance of mental resilience and encouraged youth to listen to themselves and their loved ones rather than critics.
Salah praised the young leaders for their courage and leadership, expressing trust in their ability to drive social change. Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, the main supporter of the initiative, aims to empower youth and remind them and their families that they are not alone in facing these challenges.
The "Taking Off the Gloves" project will culminate in a major event on July 27 at Tel Aviv Port. Previous episodes featured discussions with Shlomi Yifrah and Shnior Sameach, with the final episode set to include social media star Shir Turn and the "Ofek" youth unit.
