Newcastle played this team in September 2004 in the UEFA cup.

If I remember correctly they are a mixed Arab/Jewish team from a very poor background - they don't even have their own stadium, the local area is impoverished farm land and the town only has a population of 20000. They were in this competition because they either won or were runners up in the Israeli Cup.

I liked some of the politics coming out of the club even though they played like a bunch of thugs on it!
They seemed to be for a peaceful co-existence between the two ethnic groups through the medium of football.

Anyone heard anything since?

Nothing on that particular club I'm afraid - but if you're interested in Israeli football there's a short article in W.S.C. this month. I've forwarded my copy on but from what I remember there wasn't much of the peaceful co-existence you mentioned! There was a reference to a club with trade union connections - might be worth you having a quick look.

Perhaps wikipedia might help:

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Now they face a hard struggle against relegation, let's hope they make it.

i have a good friend over there and will ask him about them...he told me all about israeli teams a few years ago but i've forgotten...i seem to rememmber that team were an arab team with mixed players and a "workers" team...i'll see if i can hunt out his breakdown of israeli football and pass it on

The english-speaking area of the (unofficial) St. Pauli forum has a

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with some links which may be useful.

here's the reply i got from my crazy israeli friend over there ...the ONLY member of the Tel Aviv Celtic Supporters Club and perhaps the only Israeli Ireland supporter...he's some character

"nothing new there".. : not much to tell about. they do have a better pitch than chelski/huns of course. ;) ;D
few weeks ago the beitar jerusalem racist scum (unlike macabi hypocrites they are openned about it :-[) came into their town, some fights broke up and vehicles ruined but its all a kind of managed violence with no comparison to real european riots. they are mediocare now from what i know so they wont have many sports achievements soon.
i always enjoy seeing them humping the macabi and beitar racists. but i dont follow the local scene much. :(
one other thing is they wanted to burn some danish flags after the islam insults but im not really sure who when and what.. they just try to take the best of whats in offer for them here being from another race :
another minority story... :-[

If you ask the supporters of Hapoel Tel Aviv, which have been to the antiracist tournament at St. Pauli last year and will be there this year, it is not the only team which have arabs and jews playing together. But it is coming from a mainly arab community.
Hapoel also have players from both communities and they don´t make a big thing about that. There are Israelis playing together without looking onto their religious background.

first of all I have to say that my english is not so good so be considering.
this is my first massage in the forum and I have to say that i was pretty affended that somebody said that he knows the only israeli that he is st.pauli/celtic supporter. For the subject Hapoel(bod away the english translation for Hapoel in englis is "the worker") Bnei sachnin had gone down to the second division two weeks ago and this was the end of an area. Sachnin could be a symbol to the arab desperatin in israel but it didnt happend their supporters were not list racis then the israeli fans and the leaders of the teams allways tried too not be the symbol too the arab fight against the region.
in another subject does somebody knows where can I buy marchandise of st. pauli????

I'm a bit slow reading this month's issue of W.S.C., where there's not only an interesting article on Hapoel Jerusalem, but also one about the Palestinian Under 19's that were supposed to play a series of matches in the north-west this summer - but didn't - because The Home Office wouldn't issue them visas.