Beitar: life-changing stake

Pyotr Lukimson, Israel. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

The Foreign Ministry of Israel and the Anti-Terrorist Committee under the prime minister of Israel insistently stood against the visit to Grozny by football players of the Jerusalem team Beitar, as Chechnya and the neighboring territories are included into the list of regions which are strongly recommended not to be visited by citizens of Israel. Employees of the Committee tried to reason the management of the team out of the trip.

However, when the prominent Russian-Israeli businessman Arkady Gaidmak had reduced support of this very popular football club in the country, Beitar found itself in a desperate situation, and it wasn’t a time for cautions. Now the team hopes that Gaidmak will be replaced by the businessman Telman Ismailov. Thus, on January 8th Beitar arrived to Grozny for playing a friendly match against Terek which is sponsored by Ismailov.

One of the coaches of the team answered to Vestnik Kavkaza’s question on whether he feels any danger: “We enjoy the Caucasus hospitability, but we intend to defend Israeli football on the pitch!”

According to Beitar players, all concerns by Israeli departments appeared to be unreasonable. The Israeli delegation of 50 people arrived to Grozny by Ismailov’s private plane. They were welcomed by Telman Ismailov himself, Arkady Gaidmak, and local authorities in the airport. Since the players had left the airplane, they were accompanied by numerous bodyguards. Their bus was escorted by the police. Eli Coen, the coach of Beitar, said that it persuaded them that concerns by Israeli experts were exaggerated.

“As for my first impression, I think the situation in Grozny resembles Israel. A lot of people in world believe that bombs permanently explode and terrorist attacks are committed in Israel, but in reality we have peaceful life: Arabs and Jews communicate every day. It seems here is the same situation,” one of players states.

The team will have a huge cultural program which includes a concert, participation in founding a new synagogue in Grozny, and a banquet. The players are amazed at the Caucasus hospitability and Ismailov’s generosity and they have no words to express their gratitude and admiration.

However, first of all Beitar came to Grozny to settle urgent problems. According to the Israeli mass media, the idea of the match between Beitar and Terek was born in Moscow in September 2012 when the Russian Jewish Congress invited Jerusalem’s mayor Nir Barkat to Moscow. Barkat met Moscow’s mayor Sergey Sobyanin, the deputy Patriarch, representatives of cultural and business elite of Moscow, but the main meeting for Jerusalem’s mayor was with the businessman Telman Ismailov who is thought to be the richest mountain Jew in the world.

Nir Barkat and Telman Ismailov discussed the fate of Beitar which appeared in a difficult situation after the statement by Arkady Gaidmak on ceasing his support to the club.

Previously Arkady Gaidmak stated that he has no intention to sell the football club. At the same time, it seemed Nir Barkat and Telman Ismailov agreed that the sponsor of Terek was ready to sponsor Beitar. Israeli sporting observers speak about him as a future owner of Beitar. The team considers tomorrow match as a test show for a potential owner. It is also known that Telman Ismailov will be present at the match and take part in the ceremony of founding the synagogue.