Rifaat Turk

Rifaat Turk at the funeral of Eli Mohar in 2006

Rifaat Turk (Arabic رفعت ترك; Hebrew רפעת טורק, born September 16, 1954 in Tel Aviv ) is a former Israeli football player, football coach and current local politicians. Turk was the first Arabs in the Israeli national football team and the first Arabs who represented Israel at the Olympic Games.

Life and career

Football

Rifaat was born the son of a fisherman in the predominantly Arab- inhabited city of Jaffa, which had been four years previously united with Tel Aviv municipality to a city. At age 16, he was discovered by talent scouts of top Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv and debuted two years later as a 18- year-old in professional team. In 1976 he participated with an Israeli variety of the Summer Olympic Games in Montreal in 1976. In his first years as a pro Turk was attacked massively due to its Arabic origin of opposing fans and players, but could rely on the solidarity of his club and his teammates and procured by strong performances respect.

In the following years due to its tight shot Jimmy became the rocket midfielder called one of the most respected professionals in the country and was honored in 1980 as Israel's Footballer of the Year. In 1981, he won the Israeli Cup with Hapoel. After twelve years in Hapoel Turk played after a brief stopover in Ramat Gan for two years at Hapoel Jerusalem before 1987 his active career ended. He then worked as a coach of various youth and professional teams, including Hapoel Taibe, the first Arab club in the highest Israeli league. To date, Turk is his home club Hapoel Tel Aviv closely linked. His son Hanes plays, as once he himself, in the youth area of ​​the club.

Policy

Already as a footballer Turk had started to work for a more harmonious coexistence between Jews and Arabs in Israel, and was a strong critic of xenophobic stadium chants. In the 1990s he became a member of the leftist Meretz Party (now Meretz Jachad ) and successfully ran for various municipal offices. In 2003 he was elected deputy mayor of Tel Aviv. Deeply committed Turk is in youth work. He is responsible for many Arab- Israeli children today a unifying figure.

In a 2005 survey conducted by the Israeli news portal Ynet News, in which the 200 most important people were sought in the history of Israel, Turk finished in 113th place.