NAZARETH, Israel
Like bars around the globe, Sammy's café is buzzing with a typical mixture of
the overheated passions and home-grown wisdom unleashed every four years with
the arrival of the soccer World Cup. Suddenly everyone watching on the giant
open-air screen in Sammy's courtyard is an expert on Paraguay's top goal scorer
or the previous form of Costa Rica's left-back.
No one in
Nazareth, the effective capital of Israel's more than one million Arab citizens,
has been this engrossed in football since the surprise victory two years ago of
a neighboring Arab town, Sakhnin, in the Israeli Cup. Sakhnin's practice ground
was a clearing in an olive grove.
At the best
of times, Nazarenes admit to an identity crisis: they are citizens of Israel,
the Jewish state, while belonging, historically at least, to the Palestinian
people. But on this occasion the fraught question of where their true loyalties
lie can safely be set aside: There is no Israeli or Palestinian team up for the
Cup.
Given the
heavy subscription fees demanded here to watch the matches on TV, the failure of
the Israeli side to qualify has dented viewing figures among Israeli Jews. But
according to the Hebrew media, Israel's Arab citizens are subscribing in large
numbers. That interest is reflected in the explosion of flags draped from nearly
every balcony in Nazareth.
Israel's
Jewish citizens don't need the excuse of an international sporting event to show
their patriotism. All year round, the blue and white Star of David hangs from
grand municipal offices, humble private homes and car windows.
Nazarenes
have traditionally been far more reluctant to display their allegiances. "Most
homes don't want to fly the Israeli flag because we cannot connect to its Jewish
symbolism," concedes Tariq Shihadi, director of the city's tourism office. "It's
problematic with the authorities to fly the Palestinian flag, too, so we simply
avoid the issue."
But
suddenly Nazareth homes are ablaze with flags, and corner shops look more like
neglected outposts of the United Nations. The Israeli and Palestinian flags are
nowhere in sight. Instead the Nazareth consensus has settled on a glaring
profusion of green and yellow. Every man, woman and child seems to be backing
Brazil. Why the passionate enthusiasm for a team on the other side of the world?
"It's not
about politics," observes Yaman Roq, a regular at Sammy's football nights. "If
it were, we'd probably all be backing Italy. None of us have forgotten that in
1982 the Italians dedicated their World Cup victory to the Palestine Liberation
Organization."
Yosef
Daniel's explanation is doubtless shared by many Brazil fans found around the
world. "We love the Brazilians because they represent the spirit of the third
world. Their team has struggled to make itself the best in the world. That and
the fact that they play beautiful, inspirational football."
Butheina
Awad, 26, a teacher, one of the few women watching at Sammy's, offers an
additional insight. "No one else will probably admit it, but I suspect that it's
also because as Palestinians we have always been on the receiving end of
defeats, whether from the Turks, the British or the Israelis. Brazil gives us
the small hope that for once we can be with the winning side."
Jonathan
Cook's first book, "Blood and Religion," is forthcoming from Pluto Press.
