ABSTRACT

In the 1960s, hundreds of Israeli advisors, agricultural experts, engineers, and instructors were sent to Africa to promote Israel’s foreign policy, garner international support, win allies, and sidestep the ring of Arab hostility that surrounded Israel. The Histadrut, Israel’s largest labour union, sent many of these experts, while Hapoel, the sports association affiliated with the Histadrut, sent sports instructors who organised mass gymnastics performances in national ceremonies. Their assistance was highly appreciated by the African host governments. The paper discusses the instrumental role of sport in foreign policy, and the circumstances that led to Israel’s withdrawal of its involvement in Africa.

摘要

在 1960 年代，数百名以色列顾问、农业专家、工程师和教官被派往非洲，以促进以色列的外交政策、获得国际支持、赢得盟友并避开包围以色列的阿拉伯敌对势力。以色列最大的工会 Histadrut 派出了许多这样的专家，而隶属于 Histadrut 的体育协会 Hapoel 则派出了体育教练，在国家庆典中组织群众性体操表演。他们的援助得到了非洲东道国政府的高度赞赏。本文讨论了体育在外交政策中的重要作用，以及导致以色列退出非洲事务的情况。