Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Basketball is Israel's second sport, and local teams draw enthusiastic crowds. Several
American-born players were especially important in the early years: Tal Brody, Be'eri Lei-
bowitz, and Steve Kaplan. Foreign players have remained important. Israeli basketball largely
developed after the fall of the Soviet Union, when European competition was completely open
to Israeli teams. Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem are the most well-known teams.
Basketball is also the arena in which Israeli teams have been most successful internationally,
with the Maccabi Tel Aviv team winning the Euroleague championships in 2004 and 2005 and
reaching the fi nals again in 2007. In 2009, an Israeli player, Omri Caspi, was drafted by the Sac-
ramento Kings and became the fi rst Israeli to play in an National Basketball Association game.
Tennis is popular in Israel and is one of the sports in which Israelis have been most success-
ful in international competition. The Israel Tennis Center has fourteen branches around the
country, and there are many other courts. Shahar Peer is the best-known Israeli player, ranked
thirteenth worldwide in 2010. Denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates in 2009, she was un-
able to play at the Dubai Tennis Championship. Other players include doubles partners Andy
Ram and Jonathan Erlich, who reached the semifi nals at Wimbledon in 2003. In 2006, Ram,
this time teaming up with a Russian, Vera Zvonareva, became the fi rst Israeli player to win a
senior Grand Slam event at Wimbledon.
A number of other sports have developed followings, including professional handball,
which has been growing in popularity. There is even a small amateur ice hockey league. Israel
has also done well in sailing, especially windsurfi ng, and the martial arts. All seven Olympic
medals won by Israelis are in these sports.
Cricket and rugby are played by English-speaking immigrants, as is baseball, although at-
tempts to start a professional league have failed. Swimming, both in the sea and at pools, is
popular, as is surfi ng and paddle ball. And while winter sports are understandably rare in Is-
rael's climate, downhill skiing is done at Mount Hermon.
Israelis have excelled in chess competitions, often producing world champions. Boris Gel-
fand, winner of the 2009 World Chess Cup, like many other leading players in Israel, im-
migrated from the former Soviet Union. Among Mizrahim, backgammon ( sheshbesh ) is a
popular pursuit. A unique Israeli sport is the Bible quiz; competitions draw interest especially
among the Datim. In 2010, the competition was won by Avner Netanyahu, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's son.
Israel has competed as a nation in the Olympics since 1952, and Israelis begin winning med-
als in the 1990s. They have won medals in judo, sailing, and canoeing. Yael Arad won the fi rst
medal for Israel in 1992 for judo; Gal Fridman gained the fi rst gold medal in 2004 for sailing.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Adelman, Tzvi Howard. “Modern Hebrew Poetry and Jewish History and Culture.” Jewish Agency for
Israel, Department for Jewish Zionist Education, http://www.jafi .org.il /JewishAgency/English /
Jewish+Education /Compelling+Content /Jewish+History/Cultural+History/week+11.htm.
Agassi, Uzi. “'Aesthetic Distance,' in Contemporary Israeli Poetry,” November 1, 2004. Israel: Poetry
International Web, http://israel.poetryinternationalweb.org /piw_cms /cms /cms_module /index
.php?obj_id=3149.
 
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