Israeli Maor Melikson to play for Polish national football team

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Sep 21, 11, 13:38 #1

According to Grzegorz Lato, the president of Polish football union, Maor Melikson said he wants to play for Polish national team. Melikson's mother was born in Poland and holds Polish citizenship. According to his manager, the reasons for this decision is the fact that he wasn't appreciated by Israeli coach and he wants to participate in Polish-Ukrainian Euro 2012. Melikson currently plays in Polish league for Wisła Kraków.

MyMomThreads: 9 Posts: 185 Joined: Aug 13, 11 ♂	Sep 21, 11, 17:11 #2
There is a new twist to this story - former Israeli coach Eli Cohen while commenting on Melikson's decision in the popular Israeli newspaper Jediot Achronot took the opportunity to acccuse Poles of perpetrating the Holocaust. http://www.sport.pl/euro2012/1,109077,10326383,Reprezentacja__Trener_M eliksona__ja_bym_tego_nie_zrobil.html Is there a limit to the polonophobia of some Jews?

IronsideThreads: 59 Posts: 6,787 Joined: Feb 26, 09 ♂	Sep 21, 11, 17:57 #3
Eli Cohen while racist swine ! Whats wrong whit Cohen's anyway, their DNA should be tested!

Des EssientesThreads: 11 Posts: 2,318 Joined: Feb 6, 10 ♂ [Suspended]	Sep 21, 11, 17:58 #4
Cohen means "priest". Their DNA should show them to be from the Levite tribe.

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Sep 21, 11, 18:54 #5

There is a new twist to this story - former Israeli coach Eli Cohen while commenting on Melikson's decision in the popular Israeli newspaper Jediot Achronot took the opportunity to acccuse Poles of perpetrating the Holocaust.

Not exactly what he said. Here's my translation from the Hebrew (from the ynet article):
"To go and represent a country like Poland that's known for its anti-semitism and with the whole background of the holocaust and extermination camps, and the fact that Maor himself is the son of holocaust survivors is problematic. I wouldn't do a thing like that."

Sure, it's not very complimentary to Poland, and it's a broad generalization about Polish anti-semitism. But he doesn't say anything about Poles perpetrating the Holocaust. Criticize him for what he said if you want, not for what he didn't say.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Sep 21, 11, 18:58 #6
Yehudi, have you seen Defamation? I think you said you had. You can see the conditioning that Israeli Jews have. Only the enlightened seem to rise above it. Trust me, I don't hear (and haven't heard) much a-s here in 7 years and I have no reason to defend the Poles on this one.

a.k.	Sep 21, 11, 19:19 #7
There is also a reply of his father.

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Sep 21, 11, 19:30 #8

Yehudi, have you seen Defamation? I think you said you had. You can see the conditioning that Israeli Jews have. Only the enlightened seem to rise above it. Trust me, I don't hear (and haven't heard) much a-s here in 7 years and I have no reason to defend the Poles on this one.

I haven't seen "Defamation", but i hear about it from this forum. Not a big hit in the theatres.
I don't think we've been "conditioned" to think of Poles as anti-semitic. This impression is based on real experiences from our grandparents generation that have become over-generalized in our generation. There was anti-semitism in Poland when Jews lived there, so young people today are stuck with that impression as if history stood still. The high-school trips to Poland are not helpful because the focus is on the holocaust and not on centuries of jewish life in poland. The bitterness that jewish kids feel about the holocaust is projected on to the nearest goyim – which happen to be Poles. It's not logical but it's natural. The solution is more Israeli football players playing on Polish teams.

Look at the bright side. No one in Israel has anything against Poles except the impression that they hate us. If Jews saw that Poles don't hate us we could be the best of friends.

a.k.	Sep 21, 11, 19:47 #9
that they hate us. I'm afraid it's a vicious circle. Such news also gives an impression that Jews dislike Poles, what can reinforce prejudices on both sides.

joepilsudskiThreads: 44 Posts: 2,529 Joined: Apr 27, 07 ♂	Edited by: joepilsudski Sep 21, 11, 19:51 #10
If Melikson is a good player, and wishes to play for Polish national team, and they want him, well, good for him...F**k what the Israelis may say.

MyMomThreads: 9 Posts: 185 Joined: Aug 13, 11 ♂	Sep 21, 11, 20:43 #11
Not exactly what he said. Here's my translation from the Hebrew (from the ynet article): Unfortunately I don't know Hebrew, but in your translation his words still look very bad. He definitely made many Poles antisemitic. There is also a reply of his father. ?

MalopolaninThreads: 8 Posts: 198 Joined: Sep 5, 10 ♂	Edited by: Malopolanin Sep 21, 11, 20:48 #12
National team should be NATIONAL, not international. It's not a club, like Wisła Kraków or Maccabi Tel Aviv to buy foreign players who don't speak polish language. Same thing with Obraniak, Roger and others.

joepilsudskiThreads: 44 Posts: 2,529 Joined: Apr 27, 07 ♂	Sep 21, 11, 20:55 #13
National team should be NATIONAL, not international. It's not a club, like Wisła Kraków or Maccabi Tel Aviv to buy foreign players who don't know polish language. Same thing with Obraniak, Roger and others. Well, was this guy born in Poland or is he now naturalized Polish citizen?

a.k.	Sep 21, 11, 21:03 #14
MyMom I can't post links. Use a searcher. It's on the same site.

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Sep 21, 11, 21:06 #15

National team should be NATIONAL, not international. It's not a club, like Wisła Kraków or Maccabi Tel Aviv to buy foreign players who don't speak polish language. Same thing with Obraniak, Roger and others.

Uh, with a Polish mother, I'd say that he's got every right.

Anyway, he's mad. Why the hell would he want to play for Poland, when all the best players are finding ways to...not play for Poland? The state of the PZPN is absolutely ridiculous...

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Sep 21, 11, 21:28 #16

Melikson is a very good player, I'm surprised that he hasn't been one of main players in Israeli team since years, they are more or less on a similar level in football as Poland and here he should make it quite easily into first "11". However, this situation is very controversial because:
1. He's been living in Poland since 6 or 7 months, doesn't know Polish and generally has yet not much idea about this country...
2. He's been playing for Israeli national team, not only for junior teams but also for a senior one (last time like 2 weeks ago!) however only in friendlies, so he still can make a choice...
3. He already made a decsion once (some weeks ago) and chose Israeli team saying that he's been living there all his life and all...so it's clear that changing team is about better career opportunities...
4. We've got already a few non-Polish speaking players in the national team... it really start looking like a club...

Well, was this guy born in Poland or is he now naturalized Polish citizen?

His mother was born and spent early childhood here, so a son of a Polish citizen is a Polish citizen but in reality he's not much more Polish than I'm Chinese.

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Sep 21, 11, 21:37 #17

1. He's been living in Poland since 6 or 7 months, doesn't know Polish and generally has yet not much idea about this country...

As long as he gives 100% when playing for Poland, does it matter?

I mean - if he turns up, sings the anthem and plays his best, that's all that matters, right?

so it's clear that changing team is about better career opportunities...

Likewise with Podolski and many others. But to be fair - given the state of the Polish team at the minute, he's actually making a bad decision from a football point of view. I guess the chance to play in Euro 2012 might come into it, though...

4. We've got already a few non-Polish speaking players in the national team... it really start looking like a club...

Pick the best team available, that's what I say. They don't need to speak Polish, let the football speak for itself.

His mother was born and spent early childhood here, so a son of a Polish citizen is a Polish citizen but in reality he's not much more Polish than I'm Chinese.

He's as much Polish as most Polish Americans.

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Sep 21, 11, 21:50 #18

1. He's been living in Poland since 6 or 7 months, doesn't know Polish and generally has yet not much idea about this country...
2. He's been playing for Israeli national team, not only for junior teams but also for a senior one (last time like 2 weeks ago!) however only in friendlies, so he still can make a choice...
3. He already made a decsion once (some weeks ago) and chose Israeli team saying that he's been living there all his life and all...so it's clear that changing team is about better career opportunities...
4. We've got already a few non-Polish speaking players in the national team... it really start looking like a club...

If he not Polish citizen or national, then he can't play, right?...I wrongly assumed, from post, that he was a Jewish Pole and eligible...My mistake.

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Sep 21, 11, 22:07 #19

If he not Polish citizen or national, then he can't play, right?...I wrongly assumed, from post, that he was a Jewish Pole and eligible...My mistake.

Doesn't work like that in football - there's the infamous FIFA "grandfather" rule in play here. Essentially, if your parents or grandparents were born in a different country, you can play for that country. His mother was born in Poland, therefore, he can play for Poland.

Also, if you become a citizen of a country, you can play for their national team too - so he qualifies on two counts.

Probably the most famous example : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Republic_of_Ireland_Squad_1990_W orld_Cup

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Sep 21, 11, 22:15 #20

Likewise with Podolski

Not really, Podolski and Klose left Poland in early childhood, they were taught how to play football in Germany, they went to German schools, their German is much better than their Polish... in their case choice of any of two teams would be acceptable as they are somewhere in between... they chose Germany as Klose feels German (his family belonged to German minority here) and Podolski has been ignored by PZPN clowns... Matuszczyk was in a similar situation and he chose Polish team. I'm not totally against naturalization etc. I wouldn't say a word If a guy has been living here at least for a few years and has never played for Israel, now It's... controversial to say the least.

If he not Polish citizen

He is, read the last part of my previous post.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Sep 22, 11, 00:48 #21
Yehudi, that's fair enough! It doesn't make sense to preclude possibilities from the outset, I agree. If he fits the relevant criteria, let him play.

MyMomThreads: 9 Posts: 185 Joined: Aug 13, 11 ♂	Sep 22, 11, 19:41 #22
Two things: 1. Melikson changed his mind AGAIN and said he won't play for either Poland or Israel in the nearest future. 2. Both Polish embassy in Israel and Israeli embassy in Poland protested against defamatory comments about Poland in some Israeli media. http://www.sport.pl/euro2012/1,109077,10338925,Sprawa_Meliksona_rozpet ala_dyplomatyczna_burze__Protest.html

yehudiThreads: 1 Posts: 871 Joined: Jul 27, 08 ♂	Sep 22, 11, 19:56 #23
but in your translation his words still look very bad. He definitely made many Poles antisemitic. Yeah. And some Poles are. But he never said they perpetrated the holocaust. That's a very big difference. Anyway, we're not talking about a national leader here, it's just a football coach. Who cares what he says?

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Sep 22, 11, 20:29 #24

Yeah. And some Poles are. But he never said they perpetrated the holocaust. That's a very big difference. Anyway, we're not talking about a national leader here, it's just a football coach. Who cares what he says?

True, but he said these words officially. Do you really consider us as antisemitic ?

Regarding Melikson in Polish National Team... I think he should play for Israeli team. He is Israeli, born in this country, was taugh of everything in Israel. I regard his choice, but it looks that Maor wants to play on EURO2012 only. I think Israeli team is too weak to qualify to this sport event. Polish team as the host has guaranteed participation there (and I think that we need to organize the World Cup to play there :D)

sde

Sep 22, 11, 20:55 #25

I do not go into the emotional issues related to Israeli football player who wants to represent the country in which 70 years ago the majority of its citizens has made the murder of his grandfather and grandmother, and in general to the community, the country that will remind us the shame of the world (by the way: what exactly will be singing by Melikson during the Polish national anthem: being a free nation, the state of Auschwitz, Sobibor, Majdanek, Treblinka, Lodz, Warsaw, Katowice, etc?) "- wrote the Sohar, which is a sports journalist," Yisrael Hayom ".

Wroclaw_666Threads: 3 Posts: 69 Joined: Sep 20, 11 ♂	Sep 22, 11, 21:05 #26
the country in which 70 years ago the majority of its citizens has made the murder of his grandfather and grandmother, and in general to the community, the country that will remind us the shame of the world Is it a provocation ?

sde	Sep 22, 11, 21:22 #27
yeah this is a good one:) Polish embassy has already protested against it

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Sep 22, 11, 21:45 #28
You should take Maor as a person and not as a symbol of sth which will divide people. He can have his misgivings cleared up whilst here.

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Sep 22, 11, 22:08 #29

You should take Maor as a person and not as a symbol of sth which will divide people. He can have his misgivings cleared up whilst here.

I'm not against Maor, if he wants to play in Polish National Team and the team needs him, let him to play. I'm affraid he can meet with bad reception from the Polish football "fans", to be sure they are not so clever...

It's his choice, and as I wrote above, I regard his decission.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Sep 22, 11, 22:12 #30
Fair point, Wrocław666. However, will his heart be in it if he feels some dislike towards the people?

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