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Jun 6, 2026, 2:22 PM

Israeli World Cup Loyalties Are Moving from Europe to South America

Illustrative. AI image created by the author.

How Have Spain’s and France’s Policies Toward Israel Affected Israeli Support for Their National Teams? And Which Country Will Capture Israeli Hearts During the Next Month? A new study by Sapio reveals a striking shift in Israeli football loyalties ahead...

Jun 5, 2026, 6:38 PM

World Cup 2026: More distraction than romance

Why Winning the World Cup Seldom Sparks a Baby Boom Author: Jose (Yossi) Chvaicer, June 2026 ABSTRACT For decades, commentators have repeated a seductive claim: when a nation wins the FIFA World Cup, a baby boom follows nine months later. This study...

May 30, 2026, 5:14 PM

Treasure Trove: About Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 1956 Soccer Match in Toronto

From the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow, Toronto (www.herzlcollection.com). Photograph by David Matlow.

This June and July, Toronto will host six games in the FIFA World Cup. These are important, but Toronto is no stranger to important soccer matches. Seventy years ago, Maccabi Tel Aviv played the Ontario All Stars at Maple...

May 28, 2026, 11:42 PM

Watching Arsenal (while dodging Iran’s arsenal)

This isn’t my usual fare. Readers of my blogs and op-eds over the years know my usual topics – Israel, politics, antisemitism, etc. This is both more personal, and on a completely different topic: football ("soccer" for North American...

May 28, 2026, 8:51 PM

The Spiritual Side of a Knicks Run – Go Knicks – And Go Higher!

What the Knicks’ Run Can Teach the Rest of Us For the first time since 1999, the New York Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals. A city that waited 27 years finally exhaled. And it isn’t just New York watching....

May 27, 2026, 9:44 PM

What Tottenham and Israel Taught Me About Contradictions

As a Tottenham fan, I have spent most of this season describing it as disastrous. And objectively, that makes sense. Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League – the lowest possible position without being relegated. Safety was only mathematically secured on...

May 25, 2026, 11:36 AM

Seattle’s World Cup ‘Pride Match’: A Collision of Activism, Culture, and Sport

(via YouTube, September 2018)

When the City of Seattle decided to brand one of its 2026 FIFA World Cup matches as a “Pride Match,” city organizers likely believed they were sending a message about inclusion, diversity, and the values the city wants to...

May 19, 2026, 5:24 PM

Why Patriots Owner Robert Kraft is Missing a Play

Combating antisemitism after managing a football team is possible, so long as different behavioral tactics and strategies are used. But the evidence suggests otherwise. It is one thing to successfully lead a professional football team, as New England Patriots owner...

May 15, 2026, 5:24 PM

Lamine: Use Your Brain, Grab a Pen and Write an Opinion

Dear Lamine, You are eighteen, you have just won La Liga, you have tens of millions of followers, and you have celebrated however you saw fit. I believe you have every right. Congratulations! We have also watched the world quarrel...

Joseph C. Kaplan

May 14, 2026, 11:15 PM

Facebook has a section called Reels, which posts short video clips on your news feed based on its inscrutable algorithm. I understand some of the choices of what’s shown on mine: clips from “Cheers,” “Seinfeld,” and the “West Wing,”...

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