It is only recently, with the rise and success of Bnei Sakhnin and its roster of Arabs and Jews, that relations between Sakhnin and the rest of Israel have begun to thaw. Because of its soccer team, the town is now associated more with soccer and the potential for improved Jewish-Arab relations than it is with protest and uprising.
Bnei Sakhnin FC is a soccer club based in Sakhnin, Israel, Formed in 1991 by a merger of Maccabi Sakhnin and Hapoel Sakhnin, the team played in the second tier (the equivalent of the “minor leagues”) until 2003, when they finished the season as runners-up and were promoted to the Premier League (the “major league”).
The promotion made Bnei Sakhnin FC only the second Arab-Israeli club to compete at the top level. Financial problems and lack of a home stadium or suitable practice fields (they practiced in an olive grove that floods at the first sign of rain) threatened the club’s first season in the Premier League, and prognosticators made the team a favorite for relegation (a situation in which a team is demoted back to the second tier due to a poor finish in the rankings). During this time, support for the team grew within the Arab-Israeli community of Sakhnin, but matches were often plagued by violence from both sides as they met with opposing teams.
However, as the season wore on, the club defied expectations and went on to not only retain their cherished spot in the top division but also, against all odds, win Israel’s prestigious State Cup. This win secured them entrance to the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Cup, where they became the first Arab team to represent Israel in competition against prestigious European teams. The specter of an Arab club representing the Jewish State in international competition, combined with its extraordinary underdog story and roster of Jews, Muslims, and Christians playing together, focused an intense spotlight on the team both in Israel and beyond. The team quickly came to represent both the hopes and dreams of the Arab minority and the possibility of improved relations between them and their fellow citizens of Israel.
AFTER THE CUP: SONS OF SAKHNIN UNITED follows the season after Bnei Sakhnin’s historic win, as they face an unprecedented series of challenges and unrealistic expectations while trying to survive in the Premier League.
