# 412 – Tennis and Terror

Tennis & Terror

Tennis

First, as most of you know, I have loved tennis since I was born. The picture below is ALMOST the view I had from my bedroom window as I was growing up. (This particular image was taken only a year ago, from the window of close friends of ours, who still live in the next-door flat to where I grew up. The height is correct. My window was perhaps 5 meters to the right, overlooking the pathway between the courts).

The ONLY real change in the overall image is that the 4 nearest courts, left and right, were red clay in the olden days. On the far right, you can see space for grass courts – now 3. But there used to be 4. (The back left section was and remains an area of ‘relax and watch’ under the oaks).

Holland Park LTC – one of London’s nicest clubs. This was the view from our windows. As we never had air-tight double-glazing, the pop-pop sound of the balls being hit was always in my ears.

It was a slightly snobby club, focusing more on the game than the social aspects. Occasionally, a ball I hit against my bedroom wall would fly out the window and onto the court. I had to be on my very best behaviour to dare to creep past the entrance to retrieve the ball. They did not like little boys like me, no matter where I lived.

This is the view of our ‘mansion block’ from the grass court area. Not bad…

When I married, already travelling extensively, I had less time in London for that kind of social life. So I joined HP. Now, if Aviva needed me, she just had to open the window and whistle.

The groundskeeper at HP was Mort Hall, an Australian. He was also the club pro, and eventually married one of 2 tennis-playing Pakistani sisters, who happened also to baby-sit our daughters. Why is this important? Well, even throughout winter, Mort could be seen on hands and knees, tending to his ‘perfect’ grass courts.

He must have been very proud when some of the World’s leading players used HP for practising during Wimbledon, a routine which continues till today.

Billy-Jean, Chris Evert (and hubby, John Lloyd), Ilie Nastase, etc. All they had to do was pay the annual membership fee, and these ‘greats’ could use our courts to their hearts’ content. So, officially, they were members.

Which means that HPLTC could boast the following Mens’ Doubles Team:

Pair 1 – McEnroe/Fleming

Pair 2 – Smith/Lutz

Pair 3 – Gottfried/Stockton

Non-Playing Captain – Jimmy Connors (who actually did win 2 Grand Slam Doubles titles with Nastase).

And there I was, gazing out of my window, watching these players. They even allowed me in to get ‘real close’ – and sometimes I was almost the only non-entourage onlooker, watching McEnroe hit balls with Connors.

We moved to Israel in 1984, mainly because I read a report that Israel had more courts per capita than any other country. (Do not ask me where I read it). Admittedly, only hard courts, requiring the least maintenance.  When I started playing here, it seemed that most of the players had not ‘grown up’ with the sport. They were ex-basketball/football players. Nearly all of them had participated in 1 or more wars. They didn’t know what the lines were for, and they didn’t like losing.

Initially, I played on the nearby University courts. But in mid-1985, Aviva told me that my friend Rob from London was in town with his wife. Hoped to dine with us, but initially wanted a game with me – Sat. evening at Maccabi Zafon tennis club. Aviva said she’d join us to say hello. Zafon (meaning ‘North’) is a club nearby, facing the Hayarkon Park and backing onto the Land of Israel Museum.

It has 12 courts, pictured below in green. (The 16 blue courts shown are the neighbouring ‘Hapoel Zafon’ club). The white building on the left is now a place for small events. At that time, it was a restaurant – ‘Arnolds’.

I arrived with Aviva, dressed already in my tennis stuff. It was evening. A couple of the courts were illuminated. People were sitting around and outside the restaurant. I had to walk between some of them.

‘Surprise!!’

No tennis, just 40-50 friends and family – my surprise 40th, arranged by Aviva. (My initial reaction was not so positive. I mean, here I was in my shorts, ready for a game – and no Rob). Aviva’s brother had even borrowed our 2-pc Beta movie camera ‘for a party’, me not realising that he was filming MY party.

Within no time, I had joined the club, and have now been a happy member for 38 years…

Terror

Last week, the Dee family was cut down. Travelling in 2 cars to their home in Efrat, Maia and Rina were attacked and executed. Mother Lucy died 3 days later of her wounds. The father, Leo, was travelling in another car. Heard about the attack without initially realising the details.

The family of 7 is now 4, survived by father, 2 daughters, Keren and Tali, and their brother.

Later that same day, an Arab drove his car along the cycle path next to the Tel Aviv promenade. Injured many, killed an Italian tourist.

Is terror working? Does it bring ‘them’ any step closer to what they are trying to achieve? We are all asking how this can end? There are the obvious suggestions of punishment, such as destroying the terrorist’s home, expelling the family, taking away the taxes which the Palestinian Authorities are passing on to the families of the terrorists and so on.

But these moves will not help. It needs re-education, and it has to come from their own side.

2 weeks ago, our extremist Finance Minister, Shmotrich, while on an official visit to France, stupidly and undemocratically displayed a map of the region showing ‘Greater Israel’, without Jordan and the ‘disputed territories’, and then claimed there is no such thing as a Palestinian. Well, he was wildly criticised not only by Arab nations, including Jordan, but also by some of our ‘friends’.

I agree almost 100%. But, when did you last have a glance at the badges, flags, emblems and educational material used by the Palestinians and their allies? Nearly every image obliterates Israel completely. We used to complain, but now we’ve given up; have come to live with it. Their kids learn that we are the enemy, that we are in their land, that we don’t have a right to exist; that we must be driven from their lands.

Such a change of attitude will take years, if ever. Terrorism is something we Israelis have had to grow up with, and shall have to bear for the foreseeable future. Yes, there are decent Arabs out there, ready for peace and cohabitation. (And yes, there are Israeli extremists, too. There is no 100% among humans). But until they do something about their own community, how can they expect us not to initially eye them with suspicion? Or to react to an action as if terrorism is imminent?

First, I need to see China persuade Saudi – to persuade Iran – to persuade Hamas and Hezbollah – that Israel is a partner for peace. I want them to shake hands with their Israeli counterparts in the full glare of the UN. (Oh, I forgot: the UN needs to cease its anti-Israel bias and become a potential home for a decent definition of democracy).

I have yet another version of democracy. If peace were declared today, that re-education of the Palestinians and their supporters would take generations. Israel, obviously with care, can handle peace TODAY! First, Israelis are so busy with a hundred other things, that ‘hate’ and ‘distrust’ just have to take a back seat. The extremist exceptions? They would be punished. No question. That’s democracy.

Please do not expect me to live next to a neighbor whose middle name is Terror. I prefer a partner who plays Tennis.

Stephen