Israeli Jewish and Arab partners bring message of hope to UK as they champion coexistence through tennis
Speaking tour showcased how tennis is helping young Jews and Arabs build friendships and challenge divisions despite the ongoing conflict
Israeli Jewish and Arab community leaders have travelled to Britain to share a message of hope, telling audiences that friendship and trust can still flourish despite the continuing war.
The week-long speaking tour, organised by Talk Matters, brought representatives of the Freddie Krivine Initiative to audiences at Bushey United Synagogue, the Cumberland Lawn Tennis Club and a Westminster event on 22 June. At the Westminster event, attended by Jewish News, speakers explained how the initiative is helping children and families from neighbouring Jewish and Arab communities build relationships through sport.
Founded more than 25 years ago by the late Freddie Krivine, the initiative grew out of his belief that sport could break down barriers. A prominent British-Israeli businessman and sports executive who helped establish the Israel Tennis Centre, Krivine dedicated the latter part of his life to bringing Jewish and Arab children together through tennis, believing the court could become a place of friendship, understanding and coexistence.
Following his death in 2005, the initiative has been led by his daughter, Jane Krivine, who said she remains committed to carrying forward her father’s vision.
She said: “I inherited this nonprofit charity from my father. It was his legacy. And now I am at a point in my life where I know that I can pass my legacy on to the next generation.”
Today, around 150 children attend the programme every week in northern Israel. Each session combines tennis coaching with educational and social activities, while parents and siblings are encouraged to take part in tournaments, holiday celebrations and community events, helping friendships grow beyond the tennis court. Children also take part in leadership activities, while organisers say the initiative provides a safe space where youngsters can play, learn and build relationships across communities.
One of the programme’s earliest participants was Mohameed, who joined as an eight-year-old and has since returned as its chief coach.
Speaking in a video shown during the Westminster event, he reflected on the role the initiative had played in his life.
“This place gave me values. It gave me life tools. Part of my great success and where I am today in life is because of this place.”
Jane Krivine described him as “an incredibly gentle, sensitive and respectful young man”, adding that “the children love him.”
Programme director Lee Wilson said the initiative reaches communities where Jewish and Arab children often attend separate schools and have few opportunities to meet, despite living only a short distance from one another.
She said continuing the programme had become even more important since the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023.
“We believe that even in the darkest of days, that is when you’re meant to put in effort and really invest in the children to bring them together,” she said.
Arab social activities coordinator, Riham Namle, said growing up in the mixed city of Haifa inspired her belief in coexistence.
“Haifa taught me from a very young age that living together is not only possible, it’s also very important,” she said.
She said the programme helps children gain confidence, improve their Hebrew and discover opportunities that many would not otherwise have.
Recent surveys carried out by the initiative found that 90 percent of participating children said the club had helped them feel safer during the current war. More than 95 percent of parents reported improvements in their children’s Hebrew, while over 80 percent of children said the programme had given them their first opportunity to meet Jewish youngsters.
Wilson acknowledged that the events of 7 October had made the work significantly harder, with many families living with fear, trauma and uncertainty. Despite those challenges, she said the team remained convinced that investing in young people offered the best chance of building stronger relationships in the future.
She recalled one summer camp where Jewish and Arab teenage girls initially sat on opposite sides of the room, unsure how to interact. Moments later, one girl played a song by Korean pop group BTS, and before long, both groups were singing, dancing and laughing together.
“Teenage girls are teenage girls around the world,” Wilson said.
Opening the Westminster event, Talk Matters founder Jenny Nemko said the purpose of the UK tour was to highlight the many people in Israel continuing to work together despite the conflict.
“With Talk Matters, there’s a genuine chance to bring Jews and Arabs together through music, technology, sport, and religion – to listen, to talk to each other and build up trust,” she said.
She added: “Whether a Jew or an Arab, we’re all human beings.”
Calling on supporters to continue backing grassroots initiatives, she said: “We can’t stand on the side. We have to support initiatives like this.”
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