Israel has won a small victory against Iran — at least on the judo mat. While the international community is all riled up arguing over Iran’s nuclear program and Israel’s opposition to it, a sporting event introduced a smidgen of optimism to the longstanding quarrel. Exiled Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei arrived in Tel Aviv last week to take part in the international judo community’s Grand Slam event on Feb. 18-20. With enthusiastic support from his Israeli fans, he made it to the finals in his weight class and ended up winning a silver medal.
Iran, like several Arab states, forbids its athletes from competing against Israeli rivals. For years, it instructed them to withdraw from competitions rather than take on an Israeli opponent. Some were told to fake illness or injury; others were ordered to throw matches.