Football has the power to unite

Hadas Prawer and Deema Al-Rahmi are more convinced than ever in the power of football to unite Israel’s Arab and Jewish communities after being caught up in the current euphoria of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia.

The two Israeli football players – one Jewish, one Muslim – from the Peres Centre for Peace in Jaffa, are in Australia thanks to the support of the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) and the UIA.

They have attended matches and events and taken part in the Football For Good festival, which celebrates the power of football to bring communities together.

“We see football as an education tool,” Prawer told The AJN.

“It’s a common language. The desire to win is bigger than a lot of other things and I think soccer specifically is one of the most popular sports in the world and in Israel specifically for both communities, Arabs and Jews. It’s a really good tool for us to use and it’s also very easy to teach.”

Al-Rahmi is from Shefa-Amr in northern Israel and plays professional football for Maccabi Hadera. Prawer works as a coach for a local girls’ team in Jerusalem and for the Peres Centre, where she leads a group of 20 Jewish girls in joint activities with Arab girls from the nearby city of Abu Ghosh.

Al-Rahmi said the reaction to the work she and Prawer do together has been “mixed”.

“For the kids, they don’t really focus on, ‘I’m Jewish, you’re Arab’, they just enjoy playing together,” she said.

“From the outside it’s mixed. The bad comments get us going, it’s why we do what we do, but overall it’s sending a message.”

ZFA CEO Ginette Searle said Prawer’s and Al-Rahmi’s involvement in Football For Good, “effectively communicated the mission of the Peres Centre for Peace to a diverse group of athletes, highlighting the significance of grassroots initiatives in promoting peace and offering a unique and positive perspective on Israeli life and society”.

On Tuesday, the footballers gave a talk at Beth Weizmann in Melbourne co-hosted by Zionism Victoria, the ZFA and UIA. They also visited the Israel 75 Peace Garden.

Asked by Zionism Victoria executive director Zeddy Lawrence how their respective communities regarded Arabs and Jews playing on the same team, Prawer responded, “It depends. Some people are like, yay, go make peace. Other people are like, don’t do that.

“But at the end of the day it’s just kids playing together. If you’re against that, then I don’t really know how to help you. Because it’s not about territory – giving back or not giving back. It’s just about kids playing together.”

UIA Victoria CEO Jeff Feldman said, “The timing of Hadas and Deema’s visit to coincide with the Women’s Soccer World Cup enables us to highlight the importance of strong role models and using sport to build bridges between communities.”

Prawer said a new focus for their return to Israel will be on gender equity and on pushing for an Israeli women’s football team to one day feature in the World Cup.

“There is a change coming, but we are far, far behind,” Prawer said.

Al-Rahmi added, “It’s my dream actually. I want to be there.”

Deema Al-Rahmi (left) and Hadas Prawer in front of the Matildas mural on Bondi Beach.

Hadas Prawer and Dima Al-Rahmi with ZFA public affairs officer Mai Gutman at Melbourne’s Israel 75 Peace Garden.