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22 September 2024

Sleeping with Boots On and Winning Barefoot

Dr. Shmuel Harlap

On October 7, in the Gaza Division, they didn’t sleep in their boots. Had they slept in their boots, as is customary in field units along the borders, the division’s forces would have gone on alert at dawn and would have been prepared for battle with the Nukhba terrorists.

In contrast, Israel’s athletes at the Paris Olympics won barefoot: Seven Olympic medals were awarded to Israeli athletes in sailing, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, and the floor exercise. It turns out that total victory in competitive sports is possible—even without shoes. And unlike Israeli athletics, Israel’s national soccer team, which competes in shoes, remains the crown jewel of Israeli sports. Since the World Cup in Mexico in 1970, the team has not succeeded in qualifying for the World Cup or the Euro. This is despite the fact that the budget of the Israel Football Association has surpassed NIS 108 million during the past three years. The budget of the Olympic Committee of Israel during those years reached about NIS 94 million.

Despite similar budgets in recent years, Israeli soccer has repeatedly failed, in contrast to the successes of barefoot athletics.

The victories of the Olympic team stand out against the backdrop of the Israeli defeat on October 7. In war, Israeli victory requires sleeping in boots. In sports, Olympic victories were achieved in events where Israeli athletes competed barefoot.

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