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Coexistence celebrated at Israel-Wales football game

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Israel and Wales drew 0-0 in yesterday’s qualifier for the UEFA Euro 2016.

On Thursday Prior to the game, Cardiff city council decided to give in to pressure from pro-Palestinian activists and remove a photography exhibition highlighting how football can bring Jewish and Arab communities in Israel together.

The exhibition, called Low football – Jewish-Arab football: diversity and co-existence through lower-league football, was supposed to be on display at the city’s main library. “Tolerance towards intolerance is cowardice, and this is the unfortunate sight we witnessed in Cardiff, in the face of vile threats by a small group of thugs,” said Israel’s Deputy Ambassador Eitan Naeh.

In the end, the photographs were on show at Cardiff City Stadium ahead of the game. Before the match, Israeli diplomats toured the exhibition together with officials, including Stephen Crabb MP Secretary of State for Wales and Ken Skates, Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism and Mohammad Asghar, the Welsh Assembly Member for South Wales East and Shadow Minister for Equalities & Sport. A spokesperson for the embassy said: “Those who didn’t want the co-existence exhibition at the library, got it instead at Cardiff City Stadium, which is very fitting.”