The Israel karate team visiting the United States in what it terms a political protest visit because it had been barred from the International Championship Meet currently being held in Japan, has completed two bouts against American teams.
The first bout last week in Miami, saw the Israeli team, led by two South Africans, Dennis Hanover and Sidney Feiga, who is president of the Israel Karate Federation, defeat the American team, the United States Select team, four to two. Playing before the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) convention in Las Vegas last week, the Israeli team bowed to a U.S. karate group, three to seven.
Feiga pointed out that the International Olympic Committee members were present at the AAU convention far the Las Vegas bout to get an idea as to whether or not karate should be introduced, for the first time, at the next Olympic Games which will be held in Los Angeles during the summer of 1984.
More than 1000 people were in attendance in Miami, with the majority of the people turning out to protest the action taken by the Japanese in cancelling an invitation to Israel to compete this week. Feiga said he felt that from a political point of view, the current tour of the Israel karate team is more successful than anything in protests ever before as far as the welfare of Israel is concerned.
“Jews all over Florida and in Las Vegas actually feel they are a part of us and that they are helping in a strong Zionist caves by joining in our political protest move,” Feiga said. “We are giving out droves of placards and pamphlets describing what has transpired so far as our being barred from international competition is concerned due to the pressures exerted by the Arab League nations.”
In addition to the work of Hanover and Feiga, the two best Israeli players are Yoram Yechezkel, probably the top performer in Israel, and Mickey Erez, who was paralyzed fighting in the Yom Kippur War. He was wounded early in battle and the left side of his body was completely paralyzed, forcing him to stay in a military hospital for more than a year-and-a-half. Due to his excellent performance in perfecting the art of karate, he has developed his body to the paint where now only his left leg shows any signs of paralysis. The Israelis will appear in New York City on Dec. 9 at a site to be announced shortly.
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