Making Olympic History
No matter how he performs at the Olympics this August, Abu Rmeidah, a Palestinain Judo fighter from Jerusalem's Old City, has already made history. Rmediah is the first Palestinian to qualify (rather than receive an honorary invitation) to compete in the Olympics. He'll compete in the same weight class as Israeli Ioseb Palelashvili. (Can anyone say "tension in the locker room"?) Abu Rmeidah may still be stateless, but on July 30th, he could face off with his Israeli opponent on an equal playing field. Click here for a well-reported story on Abu Rmeidah.
Palestinian judo champion Maher Abu Rmeileh, 28, poses for a picture at a training hall in Jerusalem. (Ahmad Gharabli / AFP / GettyImages)
About the Author
Peter Beinart
Peter Beinart, senior political writer for The Daily Beast, is associate professor of journalism and political science at City University of New York and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. His new book, The Crisis of Zionism, was published by Times Books in April 2012.
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