There is a lot of begetting in the Old Testament (and the Torah). What Israelis don’t seem to have learned though is that violence begets violence so perhaps it shouldn’t have come as a shock that the “Israeli” squad (who were actually mostly New Yorkers) felt the need to travel with an armed bodyguard. How scary was that there were weapons at the “European” Men’s Lacrosse Championships in Wroclaw in July!
All the national lacrosse teams except theirs were warmly welcomed but when the blue and whites and the star of David paraded onto the main playing field there was a noticeable hush and distinct lack of applause. Whether that was because Isreal isn’t in Europe or – more likely – this was a reaction to their nation’s behaviour and warmongering in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank. Apparently, Isreal has also lavished money on their squad and probably the sport in general; some said this was why they were allowed to compete in the “Europeans”. Otherwise, surely, they should have been excluded as the Russians were after the invasion of Ukraine.
The poignant guideline for retribution embodied in the “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” which appears in three places in the Torah and three Biblical Old Testament books is meant to limit disproportionate revenge after a criminal act but those in power in Isreal today don’t seem to have read their holy texts. Otherwise, how could they countenance taking so many innocent Palestinian lives?
Whatever the reasons for the lack of a welcome the Isreal team in Poland, they proved to be ill-mannered and unsportsmanlike, attracting many penalties and even booing opposition players who were also given the odd penalty, conduct which left a bad taste in the mouth.
Whatever the background of the fans were thinking, Isreal made themselves ever more unpopular, indeed I even heard someone shout, “No-one wants you here!”, a comment that was cheered. So perhaps this explains why the team feel the need to travel with a bodyguard, rather than making friends and being sportsmanlike, and encouraging their compatriots to stop all the killing and use of starvation as a weapon of war.
It seemed right and proper then that the Europeans gave the Israelis some bruises as souvenirs, “to send them homeward, to think again”. I doubt they noticed but they showed Isreal how honourable sportsmen behave.
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| “to send them homeward, to think again” |