Israeli sports websites last week published a new regulation announced by Yariv Tefer, prohibiting soccer players to wear a yarmulke. Tefer heads the union representing soccer referees.

Tefer explained that while he and his colleagues have the utmost respect for religion, they fear the current policy permitting yarmulkes may lead to problems down the road. “The Jewish religion is not the only one for there is Islam and other religions, each with its own symbols and this must be kept outside the playing field”, one website reports him saying.

However, the director of Merkaz Elitzur, Eli Etzion is unwilling to accept the new ruling. “As the person heading the religious sporting organization I believe the decision represents unprecedented chutzpah. How can the head of the referees in the Jewish State release such a regulation? It is totally unacceptable that in a Jewish country a Jewish player is banned from displaying his Jewish identity?”

Etzion fear such a ruling will distance “Thousands of religious athletes from the playing field. The dati leumi tzibur is interested in being a part of this and such prohibitions will compel us to establish our own alternative frameworks that permit religious athletes to play. Such a regulation is not legitimate, certainly not in the State of Israel.”

Etzion plans to take his case to Minister of Sport (Likud) Limor Livnat, confident she will not back the new regulation.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)