As others have already said - I am very uneasy about how the state of Israel has conducted itself over the years but the OP is so far off the mark with this display of outrage.
Please direct you indignation and offence somewhere else. Hemed's and Kayal's friendship from childhood is a beautiful symbol of the positive power of sport. I , like many Albion fans , feel great pride about it as it acts as a metaphor for the spirit that runs in the DNA of this great club that tries to remember its roots within the local community and beyond. For the OP to attempt to make some spurious political point from this is beyond pitiful.
And I say again - I am not disagreeing with your views on the state of Israel but I do wholeheartedly condemn your shoddy and misguided method.
I don't disagree with you about the treatment of the Palestinians, but Brighton and Hove Albion is an English football club and there is nothing remotely wrong with the club featuring two Israeli players on its calendar. It's not at all clear what your problem is anyway - certainly not made clear by your letter.
Well, this is a rarity - NSC completely united. Left and Right, Tory and Labour, Brexiteers and Remainers, even Israeli and Palestinian sympathisers. Blimey.
There's a moral here somewhere, but I don't know what it is!
Here's my email to Paul Barber
Dear Mr Barber,
I am an Albion supporter of almost 50 years standing and a season ticket holder for over 15 years. I was surprised to find calendar images for May of Brighton’s Israeli players Tomer Hemed and Beram Kayal. I am aware that Hemed is Jewish & Kayal Palestinian by birth, that both came through the ranks together at Macabi Haifa and the pair are on the most cordial terms.
As you may well be aware May 2018 marks the founding of the modern state of Israel. The enforced expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands which followed is known by them as the Nakba or Great Catastrophe. The subsequent history of the Israeli state is one of the brutal repression of Palestinians in Gaza, continued settlement building in the West Bank and an apartheid regime for those Palestinians still residing within Israel. This oppression is illegal under international law and has been condemned in UN resolutions too numerous to mention.
During recent events in Gaza unarmed protesters claiming their UN mandated rights to return home have been fired upon with high calibre live ammunition by the Israeli army (somewhat disingenuously known as the Israeli ‘Defence’ Force). At time of writing over 40 Palestinians have been killed and thousands wounded. Casualties include clearly marked journalists and paramedics.
Brighton & Hove Albion is a club I have been proud to support, the city’s cosmopolitan culture and tolerance being reflected in its fan base. I find it difficult to understand how the club could be so insensitive over a matter of this kind. I feel a public statement of apology re this month’s featured players would be appropriate. I look forward to your reply.
Start of a new trend. Players to apologise for tenuous national wrongdoing. Dunk and Stephens to apologise for socks with sandals, Duffy for Mrs Brown's Boys, Izquierdo for the part cocaine played in the death of John Belushi, Knockaert to apologise for the execution of Knight Templar Jacques De Molay and Uwe to apologise for Kraftwerk being so crap at bringing out new albums.
Interesting topic with the Giro starting in in Israel this week too and the protests re that. I have seen comment about Israel flags at Albion games until I’ve pointed out we have two Israelis in our team. A complex topic that deserves a lot of thought and worthwhile asking Barber at the next Q&A about it I think
That wastes valuable time when we could be discussing programme staples and a bhafc train.Interesting topic with the Giro starting in in Israel this week too and the protests re that. I have seen comment about Israel flags at Albion games until I’ve pointed out we have two Israelis in our team. A complex topic that deserves a lot of thought and worthwhile asking Barber at the next Q&A about it I think
Following the usual cul-de-sacs and irrelevancies it is usual for message boards to generate I hope this is my very final statement.
Following the usual cul-de-sacs and irrelevancies it is usual for message boards to generate I hope this is my very final statement.
I am not sure what I am supposed to be fishing for
Nobody has once mentioned the central point of my argument - May 2018 is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State Of Israel which started the brutal suppression of the indigenous Palestinian population.
A bad month to feature Israeli players regardless of their religious or ethnic background
It is all about the date!
Nobody has once mentioned the central point of my argument - May 2018 is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State Of Israel which started the brutal suppression of the indigenous Palestinian population.
A bad month to feature Israeli players regardless of their religious or ethnic background
It is all about the date!
Following the usual cul-de-sacs and irrelevancies it is usual for message boards to generate I hope this is my very final statement.
I am not sure what I am supposed to be fishing for
Nobody has once mentioned the central point of my argument - May 2018 is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State Of Israel which started the brutal suppression of the indigenous Palestinian population.
A bad month to feature Israeli players regardless of their religious or ethnic background
It is all about the date!
Following the usual cul-de-sacs and irrelevancies it is usual for message boards to generate I hope this is my very final statement.
I am not sure what I am supposed to be fishing for
Nobody has once mentioned the central point of my argument - May 2018 is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State Of Israel which started the brutal suppression of the indigenous Palestinian population.
A bad month to feature Israeli players regardless of their religious or ethnic background
It is all about the date!
Following the usual cul-de-sacs and irrelevancies it is usual for message boards to generate I hope this is my very final statement.
I am not sure what I am supposed to be fishing for
Nobody has once mentioned the central point of my argument - May 2018 is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State Of Israel which started the brutal suppression of the indigenous Palestinian population.
A bad month to feature Israeli players regardless of their religious or ethnic background
It is all about the date!