Two foreigners on Israel’s national soccer team were
excluded from an international tournament.
The international soccer authority FIFA announced over the
weekend that players representing countries whose citizenship they do not hold
will be excluded from the Euro 2008 tournament. That excluded Roberto Colautti of Argentina and Toto Tamuz
of Nigeria, who only have Israeli residency status.
In response, the Israel Football Association appealed to
the Interior Ministry to naturalize the two players, who are not Jewish.
Colautti is an Israeli resident by virtue of being married to an Israeli. Tamuz
has Israeli residency status because he grew up in Israel after his father came
to Israel to play soccer.
