Sports

Real Madrid Heads to Israel for Soccer 'Peace Match'

by ryan | June 19, 2007 at 12:30 pm

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In the face of ever growing despair amongst residents of the Middle East, the Peres Centre for Peace has organized a soccer match which is intended to both foster co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians and perhaps act as some form of release from the pressure of everyday life.

And although in the face of the palpable tensions in the region, such events serve a valuable purpose if only in maintaining a semblance of everyday life.

A mere 48 hours after clinching the Spanish league title in dramatic fashion, Real Madrid will face a mixed Israeli-Palestinian team in the "Match for Peace" at National Stadium in Ramat Gan on Tuesday night.

The Peres Center for Peace has arranged numerous "Peace Matches" abroad against leading international teams in recent years, but on Wednesday the event will be held in Israel for the first time.

All the proceeds will support the Peres Center's Twinned Peace Sport Schools program, which caters to Palestinian and Israeli youth from disadvantaged and peripheral communities.
Real
Madrid will arrive with an almost full squad, with David Beckham the
only notable absentee. Raul, Iker Casillas, Fabio Cannavaro, Sergio
Ramos and Emerson are just five of the players from a star-studded
squad, which Israeli fans will be seeing first hand on Tuesday.

"The trip to Israel will be a long one, but when we see the
children's smiles it will all be worth while," Real captain Raul said
ahead of the match.