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‘It’s my heritage’: American Jews — and allies — turn out to support Israel at the World Baseball Classic
MIAMI (JTA) — When Michael Ignagni found out that Israel would be competing in the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifier, he immediately thought of how Western pop culture undermined communism.
“The first thing I thought of was the impact that everybody says the Beatles had on breaking down the Berlin Wall and ending communism in the Soviet Union,” Ignagni recalled. “And I thought, what if they started playing baseball in the Middle East, and think of the impact baseball can have.”
He had a vision of baseball as a vehicle for unity among Israel and its neighbors — a road he said had to begin with Israel.
“So I thought, you know what, if this is going to happen, I’m going to be all in for Israel, and I’ve been supporting them ever since,” said Ignagni, 53, a hotel auditor who lives in Los Gatos, California.
Ten years later, Ignagni has been at each of Israel’s WBC games this week in Miami. He’s befriended the team’s general manager Peter Kurz and former Olympic team manager Eric Holtz, and he proudly wears Israel merchandise with the Israeli flag and a Star of David — he says he’s bought about $500 worth.
Ignagi is like a lot of fans who have turned out to root for Israel in the tournament, with one notable difference: He isn’t Jewish.
“It means something to stand for something,” Ignagni said. “I wear [the Israel hat] with pride so people can see I’m not afraid to wear this, whether I’m Jewish or not.”
Throughout the tournament, Ignagni was far from alone in his commitment to Team Israel — even if the cheering squad couldn’t match the tens of thousands of fans who came out to root for the Latin teams.
Claudia Wolff has been to all five WBCs dating back to the inaugural edition in 2006, including Israel’s qualifying games in New York, where she lives.
Speaking before Tuesday’s game against the Dominican Republic, Wolff highlighted the representation Team Israel provides for Jewish fans.
“The fact that Israel can go toe-to-toe on the world stage is so meaningful,” she said.
Another draw for Wolff is the fact that Israel’s success in the 2017 WBC and other international competitions has helped raise baseball’s profile in the country.
“I think it’s really going to encourage baseball in Israel, which is terrific,” she added.
Sitting near the dugout — a ripe spot for autographs — Lloyd Kaplan had the chance to meet Israel player and Chicago Cubs prospect Matt Mervis.
Kaplan traveled from Long Island to see Israel play after watching the team in 2017. He called it a “once in a lifetime experience.”
Stu Moss, an entertainment agent who lives in nearby Coral Springs, said his love of Team Israel is about more than baseball.
“If I had the opportunity to go to the USA game or go to the Israel game, I have to go to the Israel game because it’s my heritage,” Moss said.
A Brooklyn native — he called Dodger great Sandy Koufax “the left arm of God” — Moss has followed the team since 2017. He runs a senior softball club in Boca Raton called the Hebrew Hammers.
“It’s part of our heritage,” Moss said. “We’re not a religion, we’re a people.”
Lloyd Kaplan, center, gets an autograph from Team Israel player Matt Mervis. (Jacob Gurvis)
Moss also said he appreciates the demographic of the team, which is mostly composed of American Jewish ballplayers who qualify for the team by dint of their heritage.
“You wanna be on the Israeli team? You seen ‘Fiddler on the Roof?’ You’re in,’” Moss joked.
RELATED: How Israel built its most talented baseball roster ever for the 2023 World Baseball Classic
One of those players is San Francisco Giants All-Star Joc Pederson. And while speaking to Team Israel fans before a game at loanDepot Park this week, this reporter spotted a familiar face sitting in the section behind Israel’s dugout: Shelly Pederson, Joc’s mother.
“I’m proud that he’s excited to play with Team Israel,” Pederson told JTA. She added that the team is “a great group of people,” and that she loves the support from fellow fans.
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Netanyahu: ‘Our Forces Are Striking the Heart of Tehran With Increasing Strength’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participates in the state memorial ceremony for the fallen of the Iron Swords War on Mount Herzl, in Jerusalem, Oct. 16, 2025. Photo: Alex Kolomoisky/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces had “eliminated the dictator Ali Khamenei” along with dozens of senior officials of Iran’s regime during a statement delivered from the roof of the Kirya, Israel’s defense headquarters.
“Yesterday, we eliminated the dictator Khamenei. Along with him, dozens of senior officials from the oppressive regime were eliminated,” Netanyahu said after a meeting with the Minister of Defense, the Chief of Staff, and the Director of Mossad. He added that he had issued instructions to continue the offensive.
According to Netanyahu, Israeli forces are “now striking at the heart of Tehran with increasing intensity,” a campaign he said will “increase further in the days to come.”
The Prime Minister also acknowledged the toll of the conflict on Israel, calling recent days “painful” and offering condolences to the families of victims in Tel Aviv and Beit Shemesh, while wishing a speedy recovery to those injured.
Netanyahu emphasized that the operation mobilizes “the full power of the Israel Defense Forces, like never before,” in order to “guarantee our existence and our future.” He also highlighted US support, noting “the assistance of my friend, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and of the American military.”
“This combination of forces allows us to do what I have hoped to accomplish for 40 years: strike the terrorist regime right in the face,” Netanyahu concluded. “I promised it — and we will keep our word.”
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Trump Says Iran Military Operations Are ‘Ahead of Schedule,’ CNBC Reports
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during military operations in Iran, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. February 28, 2026. The White House/Social Media/Handout via REUTERS
US President Donald Trump told CNBC on Sunday that US military operations against Iran are “ahead of schedule.”
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Iranian Missile Strike on Beit Shemesh in Israel Kills 9
Emergency personnel work at the site of an Iranian strike, after Iran launched missile barrages following attacks by the US and Israel on Saturday, in Beit Shemesh, Israel, March 1, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad
An Iranian missile strike hit the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh on Sunday, killing nine people and wounding dozens, in what authorities described as a direct impact on a public bomb shelter.
A ballistic missile leveled the bomb shelter, leaving a large crater in its wake. Most, if not all, of those killed had been taking cover inside the shelter when it hit, Jerusalem Police Deputy Commissioner Avshalom Peled said at the impact scene.
Those in critical condition were airlifted to Shaare Zedek Medical Center, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
At least 20 people were still missing late on Sunday afternoon local time.
As you read this, an Iranian missile has just struck a residential neighborhood in Beit Shemesh, Israel, only 30 kilometers/about 18 miles from Jerusalem.
Nine people are dead.
More than 20 are wounded, including children. A
public shelter collapsed from the direct hit. An… pic.twitter.com/mEVDlPEqgf
— Ella Kenan (@EllaTravelsLove) March 1, 2026
Several buildings surrounding the shelter in Beit Shemesh, which is west of Jerusalem, were also damaged in the attack, with two collapsing entirely. A synagogue was also destroyed.
Emergency crews from Magen David Adom, ZAKA, and United Hatzalah joined fire and rescue units at the site, combing damaged buildings and debris for possible survivors. Many people were trapped under rubble or inside apartments, first responders said.
The Iranian Regime directly fired missiles toward the civilian neighborhood of Beit Shemesh, killing innocent civilians.
The Iranian regime purposely targets civilian targets while we precisely target terror targets. This is who we’re operating against—a regime who uses… pic.twitter.com/9W8Fp4T2tH
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 1, 2026
Chaim Wingarten, deputy director of operations at rescue organization ZAKA, described the scenes as “very difficult.”
“When I arrived, it was a huge chaos, with wounded people everywhere,” he said.
The strike was part of a larger volley that triggered air-raid sirens across the country. A man in his fifties was wounded by shrapnel elsewhere in central Israel.
IDF foreign media spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani charged Iran with deliberately firing at civilians. “We know this is their strategy,” he said, adding that Israel would do “everything in our power to remove these capabilities from this bloodthirsty terrorist regime.”
The Beit Shemesh hit marked the highest single-incident death toll inside Israel since the confrontation with Iran began a day earlier. The previous peak came during the 12-day war in June 2025, when a missile slammed into an apartment block in Bat Yam and killed nine people.
The Beit Shemesh strike came a day after US and Israeli forces struck a compound in Tehran killing senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose death was later announced on Iranian state television.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump said 48 Iranian leaders were killed in the strikes. “Nobody can believe the success we’re having; 48 leaders are gone in one shot. And it’s moving along rapidly,” he said.
Separately, the American president told CNBC that the US operation was “ahead of schedule.”
Thousands of Iranians braved the strikes and took to the streets to celebrate Khamenei’s death on Saturday evening. Many people stood on balconies and at windows chanting “freedom, freedom,” The New York Times reported. People in the Iranian city of Shiraz were “abandoning their cars for an impromptu dance party, whistling, cheering, clapping, and screaming with joy. In many videos, celebrants joined together in a cheer that is typically reserved for weddings, symbolizing pure joy,” the report said.
GeoConfirmed Iran.
People chanting – Celebrations through the Foolad Shahr area in Isfahan with joy and jubilation over the killing of Khamenei.
Rough location – 32.48169, 51.39167
F9JR+MMF Fuladshahr, Isfahan Province, IranGeoLocated by @Mitch_Ulrich
Geolocation:… https://t.co/iv9TlSPPfS
— GeoConfirmed (@GeoConfirmed) February 28, 2026
Can you hear the joy in his voice?
“I am dreaming, hello world!” pic.twitter.com/ICq77zBerv— William Mehrvarz (@WilliamMehrvarz) March 1, 2026
Iran retaliated by firing repeated waves of missiles and drones, with launches aimed not only at Israel but also at US bases in the Middle East, including Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Iran on Sunday morning also launched two missiles at Cyprus, where thousands of British military personnel are stationed, which fell short.
Later in the afternoon, the US acknowledged its first losses with US Central Command, saying three American service members were killed and five were seriously wounded during the operations in Iran.