WhatsappA 7 year old Israeli girl was recently barred from participating in a chess championship in Tunisia. Only after much international pressure, the authorities relented and allowed the 7 year old Israeli girl to participate. This is another case, growing in number, of Israelis barred from international sport events. This is wrong on so many levels.
Sports above Politics
If there is anything that should unite us, it is sports. Sports should unify people and overcome politics. Yet, time after time, countries bar Israeli athletes from events. In other cases, athletes from other countries are refusing to compete against Israelis, or shake their hands after a contest.
This is all unacceptable.
An Alternative
To battle this growing trend of racism and anti-semitism against Israeli athletes, Israel is organizing an alternative chess championship. It is planned to take place in September, with chess champions from all over the world participating.
Israel is What is Right
Some countries prefer to paint Israel as what is wrong in the world. But in reality, Israel represent everything that is right in the world. Israel helps countries that experience natural disasters. Even enemies of Israel, like Syrians, receive tremendous amount of aid and assistance from Israel.
Every country has much to benefit by strengthening ties with Israel. The big losers of those situation where countries boycott Israel or Israeli athletes are the countries themselves.
Instead of growing from the tremendous amount of good that Israel can give to them, they hurt their own people and their own societies by instead shunning Israel.
Natan Sharansky
He is not merely the former Head of the Jewish Agency. Sharansky is one of the greatest heroes of the 20th century. He was the #1 icon for millions of Jews and freedom-lovers worldwide in the 1980’s. His face was on placards at all protests when protesters fought to bring the iron curtain down. It is hard to believe that just 25 years ago, there were millions of oppressed minorities in the Soviet Union. Sharansky understands better than almost anyone in the world what racism and anti-semitism is all about.
Today, he serves as a symbol for freedom all over the world.
