Footballers lead way in Israeli-Arab relations

The victory of an Arab-owned soccer team in a prestigious Israeli competition has boosted the morale of hundreds of thousands of Israeli Arabs, but community leaders say they doubt it will tip the scale in their long-running battle for equality.

Bnei Sakhnin, a mixed Jewish-Arab team with the lowest budget in Israel’s 12-team top league, scored a decisive 4-1 win over Hapoel Haifa in the final of Israel’s State Cup, catapulting the team into Europe’s UEFA Cup next year, and sending tens of thousands of delirious fans into the streets in Arab towns and villages.