‘Football can unite everyone, even if there is conflict in the world’

Israeli peace activists HADAS PRAWER and DEEMA EL-RAHM saw their message in action when they watched Australians’ shared support of the Matildas. 

While conflict between Israelis and Palestinians plays out on the streets, football matches are calming tensions between them every day, according to two young women who are driving sport for peace.

Peres Peace Centre for Innovation athletes Hadas Prawer and Deema El-Rahm shared their insights during a recent visit to Australia as delegates to the 2023 Football For Good Youth Festival, which ran as part of the FIFA Women’s Football World Cup.

Prawer, 26, is the project manager and El-Rahm, 21, the coach of the Sport in the Service of Peace program, run by the centre in Jerusalem. Prior to her role as project manager, Prawer played professionally and coached for the program for several years.

Set up in 2002, the program brings Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish and Arab children and youth together to play sport, primarily football, basketball, wheelchair basketball, cricket, table tennis and Australian football.

It employs sports-based peace education methodologies to facilitate cross-cultural exchange, constructive dialogue and inter-language learning.

“Football is very popular in both communities,” Prawer says. “Our School Programs, which take place several times a year, involve having a positive experience playing football with the whole class. We give them points for fair play and good behaviour. It’s not super-competitive.”

Rather than pitting Jews against Arabs, the mixed teams are assigned a World Cup identity such as Argentina. 

The program also includes a three-hour activity to promote social interaction, getting to know each other, and learning the other’s language.