An Israeli Soccer Team’s Success Puts Its Arab Village on the Map
Established in 2016, Maccabi Bnei Reineh is the talk of Israel’s top division after completing a quick rise. Its founders say its presence represents something far more important.REINEH, Israel — Jamil Bsoul is smiling. The mayor has clearly delivered this line before. But after all that his community’s soccer club has achieved, and in such a short time, that is what makes it fun.“Before the season started, everyone said we have no chance of staying in the second division,” Bsoul said. “They were right. Because we went up.”His community’s soccer team, Maccabi Bnei Reineh, did not exist until six years ago. Less than two years ago, in September 2020, it was still a largely unknown club from a small Arab village of 18,000 people near Nazareth, preparing for yet another season in the Israeli fourth division. Now, after three promotions in quick succession, the name Maccabi Bnei Reineh is on everyone’s lips in Israeli soccer.The team’s success, to the surprise of even the village’s own residents, has put its community firmly on the map. More
