Guardian writer James Montague has done some serious homework in laying out the possibility of a 2018 World Cup hosted by both Israel and Palestine (see video above).
Israeli filmmaker Eytan Heller and the international NGO OneVoice are behind the bid, which proposes games in Ramallah, Tulkarem and Gaza in Palestine, and Haifa, Tel Aviv and Mitzpe Ramon in Israel.
It’s a wistful sort of bid, but its advocates believe it could help push the two sides towards peace. After all, Japan and Korea used to be enemies, and they co-hosted the 2002 World Cup.
Says Montague:
Heller is realistic that a joint Israel Palestine bid for the World Cup is a long shot, but he believes that even the slimmest of chances is still a chance. “The chances are very small, yes,” Heller admitted. “The campaign is more aimed at lighting a match and sparking a different vision. This is the end result of a long-term vision, but there are prerequisites and preconditions. Hosting the World Cup is a dream, but why not? We should be there when the decision is made [in 2011].”
—Benjamin Schuman-Stoler
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