In the spring of 1974, Israeli football found itself cast into the void. The relatively young nation’s expulsion from the Asian Football Confederation, pushed through by an overwhelming member vote, was a result of complex geopolitics.
The ink was barely dry on ceasefire agreements following conflict in the Middle East. The Arab world, along with Asian countries sympathetic to their cause, banded together to achieve a majority. Israel was out.
For two decades, the Israeli Football Association (IFA) was without a home, marooned between continents. Israel drifted from Asia to Oceania and then to Europe, never quite fitting anywhere. This is the story of a football team that, despite its nation being shunned on a diplomatic level, fought for survival on the pitch.
In the years preceding 1974, Israel had enjoyed success in Asian football. They won the 1964 AFC Asian Cup, hosted in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, and regularly featured in the final stages of the competition. But political pressure was rising, and by ‘74, something had to give.
Israel was not just banned from competing in Asian competitions, but was effectively erased from the continental footballing landscape. Without a confederation, Israeli football was plunged into a crisis overnight. How could a country develop its national team when the entire region refused to play them?
The first chapter of Israel’s post-AFC journey took them south and east to Oceania. If you were to plot a line from Tel Aviv to Sydney, it would stretch over half the globe. But with no other option, Israel competed in the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifiers via the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC).
The qualifying campaign was bizarre, to say the least. The Israeli team found themselves up against Australia, New Zealand and the relative footballing backwater of Fiji. It was a world away from the charged rivalries they once experienced in Asia. Matches were poorly attended and lacked intensity.
After coming close to qualifying for the 1978 World Cup, Israel ultimately fell short, missing out to the Socceroos. It was a disappointing shortcoming, but the experience only highlighted their isolation. Playing in Oceania might have offered a legitimate route to the World Cup, but it wasn’t home.
By the early 1980s, it was clear that Israel’s sojourn in Oceania wasn’t a sustainable solution. The IFA made a bold request to FIFA, asking for an opportunity to qualify through Europe.
While the request seemed audacious at the time, it was logical. Israel was geographically closer to the European continent, with close cultural and political ties to the West. Most significantly for the IFA, Europe offered a high level of competition on the pitch.
So, for the 1982 World Cup qualifiers, Israel found themselves in a UEFA group alongside teams like Scotland, Portugal and Northern Ireland. It was a leap in terms of the quality of opposition. Suddenly, instead of playing Pacific islanders, the Israelis were facing footballing giants.
Israel didn’t qualify, but playing European opposition was a revelation. In 1981, at Ramat Gan Stadium in Tel Aviv, they played out an entertaining 1–1 draw with Scotland. A stunning long-range strike from Avi Cohen, Liverpool’s first Israeli player, nearly earnt a famous victory, but for a Kenny Dalglish equaliser.
Despite the good moments, the 80s were a decade of limbo. Israel still had no official confederation, continuing to drift between Oceania and Europe for qualifying campaigns. They came painfully close to securing a spot at Italia 90. Drawn into a UEFA group with Sweden, Austria and France, Israel impressively finished second to the Swedes.
For all the near misses, there were undeniable signs of progress. A new generation of players, like Ronny Rosenthal and Eyal Berkovic, emerged and Israeli club football started to attract attention through the European Cup.
In 1994, after years of painful diplomatic manoeuvring, Israel was finally granted full membership to UEFA. It wasn’t just an admin decision, but closure after a two decade long journey through the international football wilderness.
For Israeli football, the timing couldn’t have been better. European football was on the cusp of a revolution. The UEFA Champions League was about to become the world’s defining club competition, and UEFA’s European Championship was growing in prestige. These were exciting times in Europe, and Israel had it all at their feet.
Joining UEFA meant embracing a new reality. Israel would now regularly face the strongest teams in the world. Even qualifying for the European Championship would prove far tougher than it had been to reach the World Cup through Asia or Oceania. Yet, it was a price many Israelis were willing to pay.
Since finding its home with UEFA, Israeli football has had its fair share of ups and downs. The national side has never qualified for a Euros or World Cup (via Europe) but the Israeli Premier League has thrived. Clubs like Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel have become regulars in European competitions, with some national players plying their trade in some of Europe’s top leagues.
For many fans, the real victory was acceptance. The two decades spent in the wilderness are remembered not just as a time of struggle, but also of resilience. Israel had been rejected and isolated politically, but its team never stopped playing.