Arab, Israeli communities to build harmony through mixed martial arts

Mixed martial artists and surfers from around the country will meet in the mixed city of Jaffa to reaffirm the transformative power of sports to unite and build trust between diverse communities.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Arab, Israeli mixed martial artists create cohesion through sport. (photo credit: ONE TEAM - SPORTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE)
Arab, Israeli mixed martial artists create cohesion through sport.
(photo credit: ONE TEAM - SPORTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE)
In the aftermath of the violent clashes between Arab and Israeli populations in mixed cities throughout the country, athletes from around Israel will get together to use the power of sport to build trust and bridges between them and neighboring communities.
In order to do so, mixed martial artists and surfers from around the country will meet in the mixed city of Jaffa to reaffirm the transformative power of sports to unite and build trust between diverse communities, One Team - Sports for Social Change said in a statement.
The organizers of the program, Budo for Peace, Hagal Sheli and Haredim La’Ketzev, have been leading initiatives to use sports as a platform to educate and promote shared society among youth in Israel's diverse community for years now.
The competition will invite Jewish, Arab, Bedouin and Haredi participants from Bnei Brak, Abu Quidar, Ra’anana, Tamra, East Jerusalem and Tel Aviv - Jaffa to celebrate a commonplace for sport through martial arts in order to reaffirm the bonds between the Jewish and Arab communities in Israel, amid the most recent escalation between the two groups following th IDF's Operation Guardian of the Walls in Gaza, Budo for Peace wrote.
“I believe that core values of the budo – morality, respect for others, and the sensitivity to decorum - would contribute to mutual understanding, respect and trust among the people in the world," Ambassador of Japan to the State of Israel HE Koichi Mizushima said.
Founder and Chairman, One Team- Sports for Social Change Danny Hakim said: “Sport is a proven platform for a healthy Shared Society. There are over 30 sports for peace organizations in Israel that are using sport to build bridges between different communities. With more than 100,000 youth involved in these activities, the transformative power of sport has the potential to empower the next generation of doers, thinkers and builders of a more harmonious society”.
One Team - Sports for Social Change is an educational non-profit using sports to promote personal growth, mental and physical health, social change, tolerance and peace in all sectors of society, the organization said in a statement.
"We have been promoting tolerance, self control and respect, an integral part of traditional martial arts (Budo), for many years," said Hazem Abu Quidar,  a veteran Budo for Peace Instructor from the Beduoin village of Abu Quidar. 'Coming together like we are today, strengthens the values we have been learning together and the relationships we have been building for years.
"Every joint training is trust building. The more our youth are exposed to each other in a safe, friendly and fun environment the stronger the foundation for a shared society."
Founder of Haredim La’Ketzev Miki Chayat said that: "The Jewish values of “Darcei Noam” and respect are important in Jewish life. Now is the time to reach out to each other and show respect despite our differences.”

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Omer Tulchinsky, Founder and Pedagogical Director, Hagal Sheli added that: “At “HaGal Sheli”, “My Wave” in Hebrew, we are all equal, surfing the same waves in the same sea. Utilizing the unifying powers of the sea, we strive to create an improved reality, by building a meaningful and mature community that is above all prejudice."


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