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June 22, 2001/Tamuz 1, 5761, Vol. 53, No.38
Maccabiah Games to be held as scheduled
GIL SEDAN
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
JERUSALEM - Despite hesitations and many cancellations, the Maccabiah Games are set to take place, against all odds.
Organizers of the 16th Maccabiah were expected to announce June 15 that the Games, slated to begin the following day, had been postponed until next summer. If so, it would have marked the first time the Maccabiah Games had been canceled since World War II - and would have made them the latest casualty of the 9-month-old Palestinian uprising against Israel.
Instead, at the last minute, the steering committee decided to hold the games as scheduled after Maccabi-USA announced it would send a delegation after all.
Other delegations - from South Africa, Canada, and Australia - quickly announced that they, too, would attend.
Despite initial reports to the contrary, Britian is planning to send a delegation to the Games as well.
In all, just 2,000 athletes are expected to compete, down from the 5,000 who originally registered.
And the Games will be cut from 10 days to one week, Israel radio reported June 20.
The question of whether the Games would be held followed the recent announcement by the U.S. Reform movement that it is canceling its summer youth camps this year in Israel.
Both developments drew the ire of Israeli officials, who feel that especially now - when Israelis feel they are under siege from Palestinian terror attacks and international criticism - world Jewry should make good on its frequent protestations of unity.
By canceling trips, however, Diaspora Jews were refusing to show solidarity with Israel at this difficult time, Israeli officials charged.
When it looked probable last week that the Games would be postponed, many Israeli politicians said it would represent a slap in Israel's face from world Jewry.
"Canceling the Maccabiah or postponing it is like granting Yasser Arafat the gold medal," Knesset member Eliezer Sandberg said.
Sallai Meridor, chairman of the executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel, said the Games should go on "to symbolize the solidarity of the Jewish People these very days."
Jewish youth groups, who in the past showed solidarity with Israel at difficult times, are now preferring to stay home:
- About half the scheduled participants - some 350 kids - canceled their participation in an Israel-based summer camp affiliated with the Conservative youth movement.
- A summer camp run under the auspices of West Coast Jewish federations, which was to be attended by some 600 youths, was canceled.
- The Orthodox movement, Young Judaea and several North American Jewish Community Centers - along with Jewish organizations in Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela and the United Kingdom - also reported cancellations.
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