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Sports
Love of sports knows no political or geographical
borders. Sports are important to Israeli society and
the national culture. Israelis regularly pack arenas
to cheer on their favorite teams. As in the United
States, allegiance to teams is divided regionally.
Israeli basketball teams, both men's and women's,
have several American players. Israeli teams participate
on an international level in almost every sport and
have won European basketball championships. Israel
has participated in the Olympics since 1952, with
the exception of 1980 when Israel joined over sixty
nations in the U.S.-led boycott of the games. In the
2004 Athens Olympic Games, windsurfer Gal Friedman
won the first gold medal for Israel.
Above:
Teddy Kollek Stadium in Jerusalem.
The America Israel Friendship League has initiated,
with the help of the New York City municipality and
several communities in Israel, the Citizenship Through
Sports Exchange. The program seeks to foster democratic
values-the simultaneous recognition of individual
achievement and appreciation of the importance of
working together-through sports.
It is becoming more common to see professional Israeli
sports teams travel to the United States to play friendly
matches against American teams in a variety of sports,
including basketball and soccer.
With the help of American sponsors, both baseball
and football are slowly growing in popularity in Israel.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft funded a major
multi-purpose sports facility in Jerusalem, which
is dedicated to the development of American sports
in Israel. Kraft Family Stadium serves as the home
for the leagues organized by American Football in
Israel. The Israel Baseball League was launched with
the assistance of several figures prominent in America's
Major League Baseball.
Sports are a major part of Israeli media and are
broadcast and discussed on television and in radio,
newspapers and news websites. In addition, American
sports can be seen live on Israeli cable television
channels.
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