Jul 23, 2011
Malaysian fans jeer Chelsea's Israeli midfielder
KUALA LUMPUR: A soccer friendly between Malaysia's national team and
English Premier League side Chelsea turned surly when anti-Israel
spectators booed the away team's Israel-born captain whenever he had
the ball.
The jeering of Yossi Benayoun throughout the first half was given wide
coverage in global media, embarrassing Malaysia which wants to present
itself as a moderate Muslim nation, the Malaysian Insider news website
reported.
Before some 85,000 football fans on Thursday night, Chelsea defeated
the Malaysian Olympic squad at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur
1-0.
Midfielder Benayoun was the first Israeli to play football in
Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country that maintains no diplomatic ties
with Israel.
This is not the first time Israeli sportsmen have been ostracised here.
In 1997, some 400 protesters lit bonfires and smashed billboards at a
field where they thought Israeli cricketers would be playing at
Malaysia's invitation.
Then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad justified the team's presence by
saying that Malaysia wanted to show the visiting Israelis how
different races could live together in peace.
In 2008, the government gave its approval for Chelsea's Israeli coach
Avram Grant and defender Tal Ben Haim to visit Malaysia for the team's
pre-season tour of Malaysia, despite protests from Muslim groups. But
both left the team before the trip.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
