Palestine had a pretty good team in 1939 and again in1947.
Soccer is in the headlines today, but not for positive reasons – 14 FIFA officials have been
indicted on corruption charges.
This is especially interesting news to Israeli soccer fans, as FIFA is set to vote this week on whether or not to suspend Israel’s national team from international play. The Palestinian Football Association has accused Israel of breaking FIFA’s rules and introduced to the FIFA congress a motion to suspend Israel.
Of course, Jewish soccer in Israel dates back before the establishment of the state of Israel. This amazing video from 1939 from the British Pathé archive shows footage of a match between Australia and Palestine (which was then occupied by Britain). Note a detail that betrays how much has changed in the Middle East since 1939: the “Palestinian” players feature what look to be Jewish stars on their uniforms. (You may also want to check out
this 1947 story from JTA’s Archive about when the Palestine Hapoel team defeated a New York all-star team thanks to Hapoel’s 18-year-old goalie Jacob Chodorov who “starred for the Palestinians.”)
Watch Palestine s soccer team play in 1939 Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Very Interesting Hoss,but move forward to the recent Asia World Cup held in Australia.......Palestine amazingly out of 167 Teams in Asia managed to reach the finals(despite every obstruction the Israelis threw at them eg..Not allowing players from the West Bank out of Israel to play,witholding visas until the last miniute and so on.....the rest of the world saw the Israeli behaviour as petty and in bad spirit,let alone seen as very bad sports) Palestine won many friends in Australia as they tried there hardest to play against vastly superior opposition.........the were seen as the underdogs and programmes TV,showed their spirit and determination which parralled sic their determination for freedom against the YOKE of Israel.......The TEAM came across very well and Palestine generally in the minds of Australians........Everything the Israelis did not want of course.....Israel's pedantic behaviour brought much support for Palestine.
And the Australian went out in large numbers at each match to support them,not just folk from the middle east but the general Australian population..it was great to see the Palestinian Flags waving in the crowd....Viva Palestine indeed.Palestine has a long history in Association Football.........like Australia.
As it happens there are Palestinian Teams playing in the Israeli Premier League.................. as an anecdote I played for the Sons of Nazareth way back in 1969 and losing 2v0 with 3 minutes to go I scored a hatrick in the last 2 minutes ..2v3 to the Suns of Nazareth.
The most successful Arab/Palestinian Team is Bnei Sakin who are in the Premier Israeli League,moreover Ahi-Nazareth FC have just been promoted to the Premier League from the second tier,so next year the will also be in the top league.
Ben Sakin after their State Cup win 4-1 in 2004 were the 1st Israeli Football Team to play in a European football competition the UEFA Cup...in the first round they beat Partizan Tirana of Albania 6-1 on agg tbc