Prior to their departure to Poland on Sunday ahead of Thursday’s Conference League match against Zorya Luhansk, Maccabi’s players arrived at Bloomfield stadium today. The players were all wearing Tshirts with the slogan BRING THEM HOME as part of the campaign to return those kidnapped and currently held hostage in Gaza.
The players and club employees met with Yoseph Haddad, an Arab-Israeli advocacy activist and social media influencer who recently became one of Israel’s leading ambassadors for international advocacy during the war. Hadad spoke with the players and shared his unique story as well as explaining how he uses the tools he has, to help defend Israel in the public domain. Haddad, shared some tips and strategies to improve Israel’s advocacy abroad.
Eran Zahavi faced the media who were present and related to the hostages’ topic, two of which are twins and Maccabi fans – Gali and Ziv Berman. “This sends shivers down my spine, all these stories that keep on hitting you. You get to hear something new all the time as a horror story follows a horror a story which leaves you speechless. We are talking of two of our fans, twins who even purchased tickets to the match we were supposed to play against Hapoel Jerusalem at Teddy (on October 8th). It is just incomprehensible.
On the importance of advocacy ahead of both Maccabi’s and the national team’s matches, Zahavi added: “As players we must use our influence on the public through our social media. I am delighted that recently, many people and not just those with a large following, but those in key positions who can influence – used every tool they had for advocacy. Obviously, if called upon, I will arrive more prepared for press conferences.”
“We have this sense like we are on a mission and as long as we play in Europe as a club, let alone as a national team representing our country we try our hardest to make those supporting us from home – happy.” Zahavi added, “These missions are complex to say the least especially at such a difficult time, but if one has a way to give back to the country some moments of joy through sports, we will do it. Sport has the power to bridges divides, cultures, religions and through sport everything is possible.”
The 36-year-old forward then related to work Haddad dedicated himself to, as he added: “I am an admirer of Youseph. His advocacy is extremely important especially in the wake of the complex situation he is in (Being an Arab Israeli). I asked him a question about players and Arab people in general who are in a complex situation, and we must understand that. On the other hand, if they let their opinion be heard they could earn us and the support of the State of Israel by their side. If we would all like to live here side by side and we really appreciated the idea Youseph has raised, this should be a partnership of coexistence because we have been living here together and this is never going to change. We are here to stay and we must do everything together to the best of our ability. We must learn to trust each other, to believe in one another, and to use the same words until those words turn into deeds.”
