Ynet, why post this article? Don't think any of understand what the objective of posting this article was.

Guys, did you really truly read this article??? second did you all understand this article, I think not.

Why is this even being published? The "article" is just unsane but what surprises me is that it is published in a very popular news website....

and an over-zealous Lefty trying to gain points for his position. The highest order of depravity. What is the Meccabiah but a result of Jewish exclusion from similar events that mostly were based on skill but still excluded Jews. Similar events have been under taken exclusively by African Americans, by Women, by survivors of certain cancers, and those experiencing certain mental and physical conditions. And at those events, liberals rally and support this show of "bravery" and "pride". There is even a similar sporting event that is exclusively for Arabs/Muslims (no Jews allowed). Not only is Elkariv silent, but his ilk support it as a celebration of culture and pride. However, when such an event which shows Jewish pride, whether its simply our annual Independence Day or a major sporting competition like Meccabiah, these same drones appear to decry it as Apartheid and us as racists. And to them....I salute you, with my middle finger!

You invite to picnic people who belong to a certain group. To sport games you invite sportsmen with achievements in their disciplines. I always perceived Maccaba Games as a ghetto picnic paid for from the money remaining after apparatchiks' ice cream.

In this world where Jewish athletes are booed, shuned, boycotted and worse Jews are entitled to have a league of their own...

This hate filled piece of Jew-hatred is unacceptable. I will be cancelling my subscription to Yediot.

Jews are a tribe. we have members of our tribe from all different races and colours we speak a multitude of languages you can join the tribe and you can leave the tribe. The Maccabiah is at worst tribalism and at best a pleasant social sports gathering which is fine in my mind. It's a social event that in all my years in Israel I have never attended and most in Israel are oblivious to when it happens.

What utter drivel. Firstly, no-one thinks the Macabbiah sets out to be the pinnacle of global sporting achievement. Comparing it to the Olympics is idiotic. It is simply a nice event that, as the author says, "gives Jews living abroad the opportunity to meet and get to know each other in Israel". What's wrong with that aim, it is entirely laudable and pleasant. Furthermore, what's this nonsense that it's a "sports enterprise in which participation is based on the athletes' race"? Firstly, has the author not noticed the rainbow of Jews that live in Israel and around the world? Not to mention that converted Jews are just as able to participate? Secondly, this is about celebrating being a united community, a united people, not about racial exclusion. Every community in the world holds events and celebrations that are primarily about their community or people - that doesn't make everyone a racist. Would China be being racist if it held an event for people from the global Chinese diaspora to come and meet and play sports with each other? This article is such drivel that it's almost trolling.

This level of bigotry and ignorance I would expect from a Palestinian or leftist European columnist but from a jewish Israeli... First of all, this is not about the Jewish race, but about the Jewish people. Limiting an event to one people is nothing new nor even slightly strange. Second of all, this is not as much a sporting event (as the 90 year old contestants demonstrate) as it is a cultural event. Since when do cultural events need to be open to everyone? Its very definition implies that it is limited to one specific group. Would the author find it wrong if Jews from all over the world came together to study Torah, lie on the beach or have dinner together? But if they start doing sports it's suddenly morally repulsive? Finally, to call an event where the contestants are literally every race in the book, caucasian to black to asian and everything in between, racism is a really twisted definition of racism and a hit in the face to those who faced real racism. You have some serious problems Yakir.

100% accurate! Jews are not a race but a religion! You can become Jew but you can't become African or Asian!!!

Where did they find this moron who doesn't even know the difference between ethnicity and race?

And the large majority of Jews have a unique genetic marker not shared with other groups. Ooops. Guess that makes us racist as well, for not sharing our "unique genetic marker".

Pan Arab Games, Commmonwealth Games, Pan-Armenian Games, Gay Games, World OutGames, World Police and Fire Games, and on and on. Jews are a diaspora. We hold international friendship games to nurture our links. Yakir's hostility to this is bizarre, although typical of a long-standing Zionist strain of thought which seeks to "negate the diaspora".

Maccabiah is a way for people of same faith (not race) to come together and share in the same culture. No one is stopping muslims and Christians to do the same. In fact, in Australia there are Maccabee club members who are not Jewish and if you are a member of a club - you get to go. Sounds like the writer overanalised the whole thing.

your comment is false, but mostly despeakable.

Me thinks not. There are African, Chinese, Indian etc. These are of different tribes. There is a problem with the english language. There is only one race: the human race. Also there are Ethiopian, Caucasian, Semitic; and again these are tribes. And stop with the foul language!

There is no good in silence over matters involving wisdom just as there is no good in speaking with ignorance

If the vast majority of Jews have a genetic marker not shared by other groups, how does this marker manifest itself?

Maybe it is time this Author expanded his understanding beyond the knee-jerk Racist label. I can recommend a book written by a very left leaning member of Fire - 'Unlearning Liberty'. Freedom is both freedom to associate (and also the the ability to exclude - otherwise these freedoms are meaningless). The fact that a group chooses to have its own sporting event is not racist - even more so that it is built on a religious association and race - which is definitely not race. Groups have created a range of activities for their own solidarity, and other needs. Being Australian - we have the commonwealth game - you can argue not as great as the Olympics, exculusinary as you had to be either England or a colonies (you can even magnify if you want to some historical wrongs - as I am sure the author would be inclined) - and yes, it excludes most of the world - so it is exclusionary - I am sure the author would put a line that we in the Commonwealth must think that we are better then anyone , string along a convoluted story linking to white Australia policy of the past and prove this is an act of racism , a dose of superiority complex, etc, etc. The fact is that groups can create events to further the bonds - it is not a 'Racist' endevour unless you have such loose definitions that everything becomes racism. There are by the way islamic sporting events, etc. I guess that did not occur to the Author. The amazing part is that he then goes on to talk about the capabilities and refer to Jews not being a good atheltes, etc - his comment re chess. That does verge closely on Racism - far more then the event story he tries to portray. Jews account for approx 0.19 % of the world population. Even if they were identical to all groups in terms of athletic abilities, participation rate, etc - we would expect that out of a group of 1000 world class athletes there would be just 1 Jewish athlete - in a perfect distribution/model. So what does the author expect !!!! - I guess the R word and persona biases are more important then thinking through things -

Yo Sir need to get your head examined! What the hell is wrong with you? You don't deserve to live in the Jewish State. Your comments are reprehensible, stupid and unworthy of print. Get a life!

I never red such a disgusting article full of hate. Yes Yakir Elkariv we are Jewish and we are proud of it and yes we are proud to come to Israel and we are not going to sell 4000 years of our history for your neo-liberal Disneyland. If we are not perfect sportsman, we are coming here to be part of Am Israel, and to fell that we belong somewhere. A person of your kind lacking this basic feeling usually adopted from the family, will never understand what belonging means.

All my despise to the writer of this article

...cultural events that are designed for members of this people. The Macabia is one such event. Surely, we were forced to doing so after Jews have been discriminated from taking part in others' sports activities. But, even if we had not been, it is wonderful to have yet another opportunity for us as a tribe to celebrate together. So, why do some must poo poo the party each time we, members of the Jewish people, gather around a particular event...?? Self hate...??

If a celebration of Jewish zionist pride weighs so heavily upon you how about leaving and coming back when you learn to see the good,the great in your people instead of concocting issues that are not there...infant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elkariv- whats your problem and what hurts you so much?!? You don't like the event then don't watch it,full stop! Getting disgust from people like you! Or in Hebrew you're goal nefesh!!!!!!

but insisted on saying it? A study in negativity. Is the editor your uncle?

This article is so absurd and mindless as to render me almost speechless. Every time I think I have read the ultimate idiotic leftist article they manage to up the ante