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The Jewish Sport Report: American football is on the rise in Israel
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Hello, Jewish sports fans!
The Australian Open is in full swing. Here’s how each of the players we mentioned last week have fared so far:
Madison Brengle: Lost in the first round in both singles and doubles.
Taylor Fritz: Eliminated after a second round upset on Wednesday.
Camila Giorgi: Faces No. 12 Belinda Bencic in the third round tonight. Giorgi is weathering criticism over an alleged falsified vaccine card.
Aslan Karatsev: Out after losing in the first round in both singles and doubles.
Diego Schwartzman: Upset in the second round in singles; lost in the first round in doubles.
Denis Shapovalov: Defeated by No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz in the third round today.
And then there was one…
‘Hebrew in the Huddle’
American football is gaining steam in Israel. (Doron Dotan)
Basketball and soccer are hands-down the most popular sports in Israel, but another game is gaining steam across the country: American football.
American Football in Israel (AFI) kicks off its latest season this week, with around 2,000 players, coaches and referees involved throughout the country.
The sport has been supported by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who learned about Israeli football through a chance encounter in the lobby of the King David Hotel in 1999. He has since sponsored leagues, donated millions of dollars to build stadiums and remains an active presence in the development of the game.
For AFI president Steve Leibowitz, the current state of the sport represents a culmination of three decades of work.
“The craziness was sticking with it all these years, for over 30 years, and making it into a life ambition to establish the sport in Israel, because I think it’s a good sport. I think it has a place in this country,” Leibowitz told me. “I think we’ve proven that. And together with that we’ve created a community. So at this point, I can’t even leave if I wanted to, because I’m like the grandfather, except they still make me suit up and play on old timers’ days.”
Learn more about the history — and future — of Israeli football.
Halftime report
FIGHTING BACK. At some Brooklyn gyms, the idea of combating antisemitism has taken on a more literal meaning. The New York Jewish Week reports that many Jews in the New York borough have taken up krav maga, the Israeli martial art, to help defend themselves from attacks.
NOT ON OUR WATCH. The English Premier League club Arsenal is investigating two antisemitic incidents that occurred in and around the stadium last weekend. “We recognise the impact this behaviour has on our many Jewish supporters and others and condemn the use of language of this nature, which has no place in our game or society,” the club said in a statement.
BIRD IN THE RAFTERS. The Seattle Storm announced they will retire Sue Bird’s No. 10 jersey in June. The WNBA legend retired after this past season, concluding a remarkable career that spanned continents and included countless accolades.
BREAKING JEWS: The Jewish baseball world was sent into a frenzy this week when we learned that Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease was considering playing for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic — meaning he was eligible for Israeli citizenship. Cease confirmed to the Forward that his father’s family is Jewish, adding, “I don’t necessarily identify as it, but acknowledge it’s in my ancestry.”
WELCOME TO THE CLUB. One player who does identify as Jewish is Philadelphia Phillies rookie Dalton Guthrie, who is the latest MLB player to be confirmed as Jewish by Jewish Baseball News.
Jews in sports to watch this weekend
IN TENNIS…
Italian Jewish tennis star Camila Giorgi plays in the third round of the Australian Open tonight, tentatively scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET, but check the tournament website for the most up-to-date timing.
IN HOCKEY…
Quinn Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks take on Zach Hyman and the Edmonton Oilers Saturday at 10 p.m. ET. On Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, watch Jason Zucker and the Pittsburgh Penguins face off against Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils.
IN BASKETBALL…
Deni Avdija and the Washington Wizards host the Orlando Magic tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET. Motor City Cruise Orthodox prospect Ryan Turell does not have a game this weekend, but you can vote for Turell to play in the new G League Next Up game during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. And while you’re at it, vote for Avdija for the NBA All-Star Game, too.
And the 2023 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees are…
The results of the 2023 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot will be announced Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET on MLB Network. There are no Jewish candidates this year, but the man sharing the results is Josh Rawitch, the Jewish president of the Hall — who I profiled for JTA last year.
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The post The Jewish Sport Report: American football is on the rise in Israel appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Exclusive: Israeli Officials Harshly Critical of Steve Witkoff’s Influence on US Policy on Gaza, Iran, i24NEWS Told
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
i24 News – Amid growing disagreements with the Trump administration over the composition of the Board of Peace for Gaza and the question of a strike on Iran, officials in Israel point to a key figure behind decisions seen as running counter to Israeli interests: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
The officials mention sustained dissatisfaction with Witkoff. Sources close to the PM Netanyahu told i24NEWS on Saturday evening: “For several months now, the feeling has been that envoy Steve Witkoff has strong ties, for his own reasons, across the Middle East, and that at times the Israeli interest does not truly prevail in his decision-making.”
This criticism relates both to the proposed inclusion of Turkey and Qatar in Gaza’s governing bodies and to the Iranian threat. A senior Israeli official put it bluntly: “If it turns out that he is among those blocking a strike on Iran, that is far more than a coincidence.”
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EU Warns of Downward Spiral After Trump Threatens Tariffs Over Greenland
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on June 17, 2022. Photo: Reuters/Yves Herman
European Union leaders on Saturday warned of a “dangerous downward spiral” over US President Donald Trump‘s vow to implement increasing tariffs on European allies until the US is allowed to buy Greenland.
“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa said in posts on X.
The bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said tariffs would hurt prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic, while distracting the EU from its “core task” of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from divisions among allies,” Kallas said on X.
“Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity. If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO.”
Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 countries will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting to discuss their response to the tariff threat.
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Israel Says US Gaza Executive Board Composition Against Its Policy
FILE PHOTO: Displaced Palestinians shelter at a tent camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/Haseeb Alwazeer/File Photo
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday that this week’s Trump administration announcement on the composition of a Gaza executive board was not coordinated with Israel and ran counter to government policy.
It said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar would raise the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The statement did not specify what part of the board’s composition contradicted Israeli policy. An Israeli government spokesperson declined to comment.
The board, unveiled by the White House on Friday, includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Israel has repeatedly opposed any Turkish role in Gaza.
Other members of the executive board include Sigrid Kaag, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process; an Israeli‑Cypriot billionaire; and a minister from the United Arab Emirates, which established relations with Israel in 2020.
Washington this week also announced the start of the second phase of President Donald Trump’s plan, announced in September, to end the war in Gaza. This includes creating a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in the enclave.
The first members of the so-called Board of Peace – to be chaired by Trump and tasked with supervising Gaza’s temporary governance – were also named. Members include Rubio, billionaire developer Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.