EDITOR'S WATCH

Rallying For Peace
Through Tennis

competitions as a backdrop, competi-
The Palestinian Tennis Association
sraeli Prime Minister Ehud
tive athletics are proven builders of
approached Brode last October and
Barak's embrace of the Wye
international bridges of understanding.
asked him to help duplicate the ITC's
River Accords may speed arrival
And such bridges are in critically short
success in their homeland. Wrote Dr.
of Mideast peace. But the peace
supply in the Mideast.
Soliman Shurafa, PTA honorary presi-
that springs from the diplomacy of a
With children 14 and younger
dent: It is our hope to make the first
grass-roots ecumenical group of Jews
more than half of the Gaza Strip's
0
step between the Israelis and Palestini-
and Arabs may be more lasting.
population of about 1 million, and in
ans through tennis to strengthen the
The locally based group, Children's
school only two hours a day due to
relationship and to make
Sports for Peace, believes
severe overcrowding, it makes sense to
peace prosper."
peace is rooted in the notion
try to reach them through sports dur-
Brode is a man I've
that behavorial traits are
ing their most impressionable years.
known for 30 years, since
acquired, not inbred.
his days as a swim-
It's a notion that Jews and
ming pool builder, and
Palestinians need to consider if
whose support of kids
Jewish and Arab children learn the
they truly want to live together
has never wavered.
rudiments of tennis at the ITC
in a part of the world where
Basketball, tennis, fit-
complex
in Haifa.
terrorism knows no bounds.
ness and other sum-
Children's Sports for Peace
support, Children's Sports for Peace
mer camps at his
hopes a worldwide appeal
ROBERT A.
can become a world model for
Franklin Road center
raises enough money to build,
SKLAR
involving kids in sports to tran-
draw 500 kids a week.
operate and staff a tennis
Editor
scend politics and ethnic conflict.
He's convinced that
facility for 8- to 15-year-olds
As Arnold Michlin, our area's top
Israeli and Palestinian
in Gaza City, capital of the
interfaith ambassador, put it: "I
youngsters, though from long-
Gaza Strip and home to the Palestin-
can see Jewish, Arab and Palestin-
get
to
know
clashing cultures, can
ian Authority.
ian children playing together and
each other as human beings with
Surely, a successful appeal will ele-
working together to build a Mid-
individual ideas."
vate the Palestinian Tennis Association
dle East where the talents of all
Ehud Federman, ITC executive director; Dr. Soliman
"We need some normalcy for
(PTA) in the high-stakes peace
its people are used to bring pros-
Shurafa, PTA president; Seymour Brode, ITC past
these kids," says the native
process. But success will come only if
perity
and happiness instead of
Detroiter. "If we give them a bet- international chairman; and Aiman Arafat, PTA vice
the PTA proves that kids from diver-
fear
and
hatred.
president
and
Gaza
Tennis
Association
president
(and
ter quality of life and, in turn,
gent backgrounds can live together in
no
relation
to
Palestinian
Authority
leader
Yasser
"It's
no
easy task, but one that
instill in them a little pride and
peace.
Arafat),
met
last
fall
at
the
Hilton
in
Jerusalem.
do-able."
is
self-esteem, it can't help but aid
The spark behind Children's Sports
It's not surprising that the seeds
the peace process.
for Peace is Seymour Brode, chairman
of support for the Gaza City Tennis
Twenty years ago, the ITC brought
The Gaza City center — with six
of Franklin Fitness & Racquet Center
Center were planted here in metro
Lebanese children to its border site in
lighted courts and seating at center court
in Southfield. He's immediate past
Detroit, home to the largest concen-
Kiryat Shemona to play tennis with
— will rise on Palestinian Authority
international chairman of Israel Tennis
tration of Arabs outside the Mideast.
Israelis and, hopefully, nurture friend-
land. The complex will feature two mul-
Centers (ITC), founded in 1975 in
Edward Deeb, co-founder of the
ships.
The
fragile
experiment
worked
tipurpose courts for basketball and other
Ramat Hasharon.
American
Arab and Jewish Friends
for
a
while
—
until
the
1982
sports, a library/computer room, a fit-
(with Michlin) and the American Arab
Lebanese-Israeli war. But with peace
ness room and, in a thoughtful touch, a
and Chaldean Social Services Council,
edging closer between Israelis and
mosque. Construction costs are pegged
sees the friendships struck through
Palestinians, ironically major trading
at $1.4 million, operating costs
Children's Sports for Peace "helping
partners despite vast economic dispari-
$250,000 a year.
Despite calling for peace, Palestin-
both sides understand what needs to
ty, it's possible that organized youth
Brode anticipates groundbreaking
ian Authority leader Yasser Arafat
be done to achieve a permanent peace.
tennis
might
trigger
a
rebuke
of
the
before year's end.
allows schools to teach from text-
"It's time," he says matter of factly,
rampant
anti-Semitism
that
Palestin-
Notably, the Palestinian Authority
books that say it's okay to hate,
"that we take Jewish technology and
ian
kids
see
on
television,
in
textbooks
was
smart
enough
to
ignore
political
and even kill, Jews.
Arabic oil wealth and merge them into
and at the dinner table.
unrest and seek Jewish help. Having
The Boston-based Committee
something as simple as the tennis cen-
In the ITC youth programs in
built 13 tennis complexes with 150
for Accuracy in Middle East
ter — and see what a wonderful, pow-
Jerusalem, Haifa, Jaffa and Beersheva,
courts, the ITC is well versed in plan-
Reporting in America (CAMERA)
erful
thing it can be."
6,000 Israeli Jews and Arabs mingle
ning and design. It also knows the
reports how Palestinian ninth-
We
can dismiss all Palestinian
regularly.
If
their
safety
can
be
assured,
secrets to fund-raising, with diaspora
graders, for example, study from
youngsters
as incurable anti-Semites,
go
to
Gaza
City
and
should
Israeli
kids
and Israeli sources contributing $5 mil-
official textbooks that assert,
and
rip
the
pursuit of peace. Or, we
come
to
should
Palestinian
kids
lion yearly for operations.
"treachery and disloyalty are char-
can give these youngsters cause to
Ashkelon
not
only
to
play
tennis
com-
Meanwhile,
the
ITC
understands
acter traits of the Jews and, there-
change their mind through over-the-
petitively but also build friendships
that Israelis and Palestinians must
fore, one should beware of them."
net handshakes with kids their own
and inspire peace.
learn to interact amiably if peace is
Jews, adds CAMERA, are cast
age, but who happen to be Jewish. ❑
Eventually, tennis centers could
ever to come.
as "Satanic, violent and cunning
serve
up
sportsmanship,
understand-
Support for the Gaza City center is
— as thieving conquerors who
ing and respect in the West Bank and
growing among Israelis and Palestini-
have stolen Arab land and must
Jordan
— even Lebanon and Syria.
ans.
"Israelis
are
really
enthusiastic
and
Robert Sklar can be reached via
be fought and defeated."
The
potential
for good will among
Palestinians
are
fighting
for
what
we're
voice-mail, (248) 354-6060, ext.
So much for conventional
tomorrow's
Mideast
leaders
far
out-
s
heartening
to
doing,"
says
Brode.
"It
258; fax, (248) 354-6069; or e-mail,
peacemaking ...
weighs
the
risks.
me
that
they
share
the
goal
of
peace.
rsidar@thejewishnews.corn
—Robert A. Sklar
With the right blend of multicultural
With the Olympics and other world

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Hurdles We Face

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9/10

1999

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