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June 22, 2001
Maccabi games
Let the Maccabi games begin Jewish athletes won't have to wait another
year to participate in event.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
Whether it is viewed as a poor security decision or a victory against
Arab terrorism, hundreds of Jewish Canadian athletes were excited
to hear that the suggestion to postpone the 16th Maccabi games has
been rejected.
The games take place every four years in Israel and will run as
scheduled July 16-26.
Following several meetings of the Maccabi World Union and representatives
of the Israeli government, it was announced June 15 that the games
would not be postponed. The postponement was discussed as a result
of safety concerns and a significant drop-out rate for athletes
unwilling to visit the terror-torn country. The United States team,
however, under pressure from sponsors and fund-raisers, announced
their intention to participate in the games this year and the Maccabi
World Union followed suit.
Team Canada's executive committee voted that Canada will also send
their team to Israel.
The chair of the national athletics committee for Maccabi Canada,
Allan Gerskup, said he understood the reason for concern at this
year's games but was glad Canadian athletes will be participating
in the event.
"We're going and I'm really happy about it," he said. "There's
always been tight security and it will be a little more obvious
this time, but I'm confident that the state of Israel will hold
a safe games." With that said, in an interview that took place a
few days before the decision was made, Gerskup said he hoped the
games would take place but would also be nervous about his responsibility
as a Canadian team leader.
"My personal feeling is that I would go and take my kids," he said.
"But I'm not going to convince somebody else to go or send their
kids. "I have a strong connection with Israel and [the games are]
an important thing to do but you can't always [think] with your
heart, you have to use your brain as well," he continued. "I'd be
sort of responsible for everybody going over there and I don't think
I'd sleep very much."
Gerskup, who said approximately 25 per cent of Canada's athletes
had already withdrawn from the games for safety reasons, told the
Bulletin that there may also be some athletes who won't be
able to attend the event even if they wanted to.
"When you have a team of 14 baseball players and you lose five,
you don't have a team anymore," he said. "And that's what's happening."
It is also possible that even if Canada can send a full team in
any given sport, there may not be enough participation from other
countries to warrant a competition.
At press time, only Great Britain had declared they were still
refusing to send any athletes while other countries were assessing
how many participants they would be able to send.
Gretchen Du Moulin, who has been training in anticipation of her
1,500- and 3,000-metre track race in the games, said she'll go as
long as Maccabi Canada says she can but she understands why it is
a tough decision to make.
"Unfortunately, Israel is not stable and anything can happen at
any point so you just can't be stupid about stuff like this," she
said. "If there is a situation where there's potential for danger
you don't go trotting around saying, 'I'm a target! Hit me! Hit
me!' "
She called the circumstances a no-win situation.
"If they postponed it, then some people may not be able to go next
year and a year from now it could be worse and there's no guarantee
[the games] would happen then," she said. "I would hope that people
would see that if the decision has been made that it is safe enough
to go then they can trust that decision."
However, she doesn't view the decision to hold the games as a victory
against terrorism.
"If you're looking at it as a victory or not a victory, then it
just adds to the fire of us versus them and who's going to win,"
she said.
"It's not about that. It's about trying to live peacefully." Du
Moulin told the Bulletin she would have made plans to visit
the Holy Land this summer even if the games had been postponed.
"I've been really excited to go back so it would be hard for me
not to go at all."
Lorraine Cantin was hoping to participate in the games as a bowler
but she had recently withdrawn her entry. Although she withdrew
for financial reasons, rather than safety, she said her family and
friends were relieved when they heard of her change in plans.
"I really hoped they would postpone the games for a year," she
said. "It would make history, but for the sake of the safety of
the people, it would be the right thing to do."
However, if the funding had been available to her, Cantin said
she would have taken the chance to compete at the games in Israel
in July.
"My motto is, if I'm meant to die, let me die in the Holy Land.
Let me die in Israel."
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