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Friday, 10 December 2010

Israeli, Palestinian children unite for football

10 December 2010 - 19H26

Israeli children from Kibbutz Harel (in blue) view the ball with Palestinian children from the West Bank village of Umm al-Kheir (in red) during a football match organized by the European Union (EU), Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club and Palestinian and Israeli NGOs, south of the West Bank city of Hebron.
Israeli children from Kibbutz Harel (in blue) view the ball with Palestinian children from the West Bank village of Umm al-Kheir (in red) during a football match organized by the European Union (EU), Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club and Palestinian and Israeli NGOs, south of the West Bank city of Hebron.

AFP - A group of Israeli and Palestinian children played football in the southern West Bank on Friday as part of an EU-funded project to bring kids together through the beautiful game.

Each team was mixed, comprising Israeli and Palestinian children aged between nine and 13, wearing either a blue or a red shirt.

It was the first time the Israelis from Kibbutz Harel near Jerusalem had visited the Palestinian village of Umm al-Kheir, although both communities have been working closely together for the past three years. Until now, all their meetings have been in Israel.

The match was part of an ongoing programme called "Football: Our Common Ground," which brings together Israeli and Palestinian children four or five times a year.

It also enables them to improve their football skills while building friendships and promoting co-existence, the organisers said.

The project is jointly run by the Israeli NGO Mifalot, which uses sport to work for education, development and peace; the Israeli football team HaPoel Tel Aviv, the Palestinian NGO CARE and the local council in Umm al-Kheir.

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