Finding hope in a war zone
How soccer has brought stability in the face of tragedy
On Monday, a Euro 2024 qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden was about to kick off in Brussels when a terrorist a few miles away from the stadium targeted Swedes, killing two. As the game was suspended at halftime, authorities kept the two groups of fans in the stadium where they all started chanting, “Sweden! Sweden!” Amid tragedy, a soccer game was able to bring two opposing fan bases together.
Sports can often be a good distraction from the worries and stresses of life. Though sports may be stress-inducing, they more often than not are a refuge from the stresses that truly eat away at us. They are a safe place where people can come together to bond over a common passion in a world with so many opposing views.
That’s why after 9/11, baseball was used as a way for the people of New York to come together and start to heal. Or why after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, fans flooded NBA arenas for the playoffs to bring back some resemblance of normalcy. Sports are often used as a way to heal and distract when tragedy strikes.
Such is the case in Israel and Gaza, an area of the world that has been steeped in conflict. The Israeli / Palestinian conflict was reignited about a week and a half ago as Hamas brutally attacked innocent people. Israel continues to retaliate, spurring a humanitarian crisis in Gaza with people left without electricity and limited access to food and water. Reporting indicates there have been over 3,000 casualties and 10,000 injured among both Israelis and Palestinians.
Despite the tragedy in Israel and Gaza, the people who live there do their best to move forward. They do so by chasing after dreams and working hard for their families. They often turn to sports to find refuge, embrace friendships, and rebuild their lives.
Lior Asulin
Lior Asulin, a former soccer player in Israel, has helped mend broken hearts and has given fans hope a few hours at a time throughout his career. Asulin started his professional career in 1997 and played until 2017. All 20 years of his playing career were in Israel. Asulin quickly rose to prominence as one of the best strikers in Israel and played for multiple teams in the top Israeli soccer league as well as the second-tier league.
Asulin was known for his speed, dribbling ability, and finishing. He scored 176 goals in his career and won several cups and league titles. However, off the field, he had his share of issues. He was involved in several legal disputes with a former club over his contract. He also struggled with drug addiction and gambling problems. In 2021, he was convicted of drug trafficking and spent almost a year in prison.
In an interview after his release from prison, Asulin shared his desire to start fresh as a new man. He went to work at a horse farm and in a hotel, hardly the life of glitz and glamor that he had as a soccer player. Asulin didn’t mind though. During the second phase of his life, he wanted to build something new for himself and be a responsible adult. For a while, it seemed as if Asulin was doing just that and making the most of his opportunity.
Hamas attacks
On Friday, October 6th, Asulin celebrated his 43rd birthday. The next day he attended Supernova, an all-night outdoor music festival held in Israel two miles from the Gaza border. Thousands attended the event at the end of Israel’s weeklong Sukkot religious festival. What was meant to be a celebration took a turn for the worse in the early morning hours. Hamas used motorized paragliders to drop directly into the event and open fire. Asulin was one of the many killed in the attack. Other Israeli athletes also lost their lives at the hands of Hamas, including swimmer Eden Nimri and Lacrosse player Mor Cohen.
As the war commenced over the coming days, sports in Israel and Gaza have come to a halt. The Ministry of Culture and Sports for Israel announced that all sporting events were canceled until further notice, including a basketball game that was supposed to happen in Milan, Italy. The Palestinian national soccer team also had to withdraw from a tournament in Malaysia.
As the world mourns the events in Israel and Gaza, Israelis were also hit where they often turned for escape. A former soccer star was killed as he was starting to turn his life around. What could have been viewed as a story of hope ended abruptly. Like always though, the country will pick itself up. Once sports resume, athletes that were lost will be a way for fans to come together and find common ground.
Hope in Gaza
Palestinians in Gaza have made a life out of picking themselves up after tragedy. Often falling victim to airstrikes from their neighbors, Palestinians have had to adjust their lives on a seemingly year-by-year basis. Similar to Israelis, Palestinians have also embraced sports to find hope for the future.
Rami Jundeya can still hear the sirens in his head. After an Israeli missile injured him in 2014, Jundeya was rushed to the hospital. He woke up and his left leg was missing. As someone who loved sports, this was soul-crushing news. "I thought my life would stop after my injury,” he remembers.
Jundeya was able to find the Al Jazeera Sports Club. Created for able-bodied soccer players, it was converted into an amputee team after many Palestinians were injured and left without limbs from airstrikes. The club now helps new amputees adjust to their new lives and still play the sport they love.
"The sport has changed my life. It gave me hope and made me feel that life is beautiful and even better than before," Jundeya said.
As innocent lives are impacted by war, politicians and world leaders each weigh in on who is at fault and what should happen next. Sometimes seen as collateral damage by opposing views, what’s often forgotten are the lives of those impacted the most. Just like people in the United States, Italy, or Japan, Israelis and Palestinians want a normal life with loved ones, freedoms, and the embrace of sports.
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