Former Israeli national team player: "Being Arab in Israel is hard"

An in-depth BBC article on the complexity of relations between Jews and Arabs in Israeli national teams quotes former footballer Biram Kayal, who says being Arab in Israel is difficult and there is an opportunity gap. Kayal calls on young Arabs to preserve their identity and speak their language. The article also reviews the highlights of the youth national team in 2023.

An in-depth BBC article examines the complexity of relations between Jewish and Arab players in Israeli national teams against the backdrop of the war. At the center of the article is former footballer Biram Kayal, who played for Celtic, Brighton, and the Israeli national team and currently serves in a professional role at the Football Association. Kayal said: "Being Arab in Israel is sometimes hard and sometimes tough. In terms of opportunities, we are not always on the same level." He called on young players to preserve their identity: "Speak your language, don't be ashamed and don't be afraid to show yourselves." The article returns to the highlights of the youth national team in 2023, when they beat Brazil, and recalls how Anan Khalaili used the phrase "People of Israel" and how the locker room combined players laying tefillin with praying Muslims. According to experts, Israeli football was an island of coexistence, but now the national team is expected to also face protests and a hostile atmosphere in Europe.