As PPI-ME entered its third year in the fall of 2007, our oldest players needed a welcoming place to test their competitive mettle.  Unfortunately for the past six years, the Jerusalem area has not had a league that was truly open to Arab and Jewish clubs. The result, after months of hard work, was the reopening of the brand new 2007/08 Jerusalem Peace League, which took place in Abu Ghosh.

The League boasted three integrated PPI – ME teams, comprised of Palestinian and Israeli participants (Gilo-Esawiah/ Katamon-Beit Safafa / Abu Ghosh-Beit Shemesh) , who have been practicing together in the Twinned Basketball Clubs program, in addition to six other teams (three Palestinian/Arab and three Jewish-Israeli) from the Jerusalem area and from Bethlehem.

The boys, aged 13-15, were broken into two groups and played a round robin, before the best two teams from each group moved onto the final four.  The Final Four was some of the most intense basketball ever to be on a PeacePlayers court and it was all done keeping in mind to spirit of the league: brotherhood through basketball. 

Congratulations to all of the teams that participated in the league and special props go to out to Hopoal Pizgat Ze’ev for taking the championship!

A special thanks to the Municipality of Jerusalem and the Abu Ghosh Regional Council and Community Center – our partners in this project.