Under the banner “In This Tournament, We All Win,” a Jewish-Arab youth soccer event took place Tuesday in the northern city of Shefa-Amr. Sponsored by the Histadrut’s Jewish-Arab Institute and the Central Galilee branch of the Histadrut, the tournament drew dozens of children and their families for a spirited show of coexistence through sport.
“Shefa-Amr is a symbol of shared living, and there’s nothing that brings people together like sports,” said Shadi Kablan, director of the Jewish-Arab Institute. “Sports offer hope and light for a life together here—because we have no other country.”
Saeed Shalah, who chairs the Central Galilee branch of the Histadrut, stood on the field as he described the Histadrut’s mission. “We’re connected to workers and workplaces—and strengthening coexistence is part of our job too,” he said.
The Histadrut has a long history of supporting sport. As early as 1926, six years after its founding, the Histadrut launched Hapoel, a sporting organization for workers. Shalah recalled that history and the renewed focus on sport that Histadrut Chair Arnon Bar-David has encouraged.
After the speeches, the language on the field was soccer. Parents from Haifa and Hof HaCarmel focused less on who their children were playing against and more on whether they’d score a goal.
Saleh Abu Raid of Shefa-Amr came to support his 9-year-old son, Adiv, a long-time player on Maccabi Shefa-Amr’s youth team.
“It’s his hobby—he loves soccer,” he said. “I work with both Jews and Arabs, and I’m happy he’s meeting Jewish kids. When you’re playing, it doesn’t matter if you’re Arab or Jewish.”
Reflecting on the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, Abu Raid added, “That hurt me too. Not every Arabic speaker supports terror. We’re partners here—I feel a sense of belonging to this country.”
Batel Ambar from Kiryat Haim, whose 9-year-old son Elad plays for the Maccabi Haifa youth team, said she had no hesitation about coming to the Arab town of Shefa-Amr. “It’s so important to expose kids to coexistence,” she said. “In the end, it’s just a game—and we need more of this.”
She added, “I have coworkers from here. You don’t need to mix politics with soccer.”
Elad, who scored several goals, was unfazed by the diversity on the field, Batel said, noting that his youth team in Haifa has members who are Jewish, Muslim, Druze, and Christian.
The tournament ended with a traditional trophy and medal ceremony. For one afternoon, Israeli kids, Jewish and Arab alike, simply played soccer. And in that moment, everyone won.
