The negative image surrounding Israel since October 7 has seeped into territories we once believed immune to propaganda. From cultural events like Eurovision or film and music festivals, the anti-Israel stance has appeared in full glory on European soccer fields as well. This has led to a growing and unprecedented trend for young Israeli athletes who have managed to skip several career stages and are already making their mark in MLS.
Tai Baribo, 28, has already switched clubs, moving from Philadelphia Union to DC United, and has been crowned one of the league's standout players. Idan Toklomati, 21, plays for Charlotte alongside Liel Abada, 24, who is flourishing after a challenging season at Celtic. Dallas's new signing Ran Binyamin, New England players Ilay Feingold and Maccabi Tel Aviv star Dor Turgeman, both 21, are the six Israelis starring in the top North American league. The forecast is that additional names will join in the near future.
The MLS is not a "consolation prize" for the young players; rather, it's the opposite. It's an excellent "stepping stone," according to sports agent Idan Ben Abou, who represents Binyamin, Feingold, and Turgeman. "You won't get from Israel to Real Madrid – you need an intermediate team. The MLS is developing year by year, and in recent years it has reached its peak in terms of global exposure, especially after Messi's contract extension," he explained about the league's appeal, against the backdrop of a "decline in motivation" in the European market for signing Israeli players since the war broke out.
"In many places in Europe, teams won't admit it publicly, but they avoid signing an Israeli player because they want fewer frictions with the crowd. You offer players to certain markets, and they opt for inferior alternatives," he revealed about current industry dynamics.
Abada's move from Scottish Celtic to American Charlotte, for example, was warranted after a long period of severe anti-Israeli chants dating back to October 7, 2023, when a huge sign was raised calling to "free Palestine, victory to the resistance." The tension on the field intensified from the team's fans, known for their Palestinian support over the years, by waving Palestinian flags and signs calling to "give Israel a red card," creating a hostile atmosphere that also existed among fans of other teams.
The American market tells a different story. US clubs recognize the exceptional value Israeli players deliver – consistently validating their investment – and are willing to meet the demands of Israeli teams and the country's problematic image.
"I don't have a sense of missing out because, first of all, I'm in an excellent place in every respect," rising star Dor Turgeman told Israel Hayom. "I was warmly welcomed by the owner, who is himself Jewish, and of course by my teammates and the Boston community," he shared about the move to New England. "Ultimately, you go for the best offer. It's not that I preferred New England to Real Madrid, but among the European offers I had, it was the best stepping stone. They've demonstrated consistent ability to develop players for Europe's top five leagues."
Even with European ambitions, players refuse desperate moves, according to Ben Abou. "As an agent, I have to constantly think about the best offers for the players. Feingold received an offer from a team in the Championship, and he said he prefers to stay in New England unless it's an offer from the top five leagues," he said. "So you understand he's in a place that's really good for him."
But Israeli presence in American sports extends beyond MLS. NCAA basketball features exceptional young Israeli talent – men and women – commanding substantial compensation packages. The expectation is that this trend will continue, with more young players joining the ranks of American college basketball teams on their way to successful careers abroad. This is happening, quite interestingly, despite American colleges being a focal point for anti-Israeli demonstrations over the past two years, ones that required police intervention due to their violent nature.
"Sports, at least in the US, remains 'clean,'" emphasized sports agent Yuval Shaham, whose clients include Noam Dovrat, 23, a Division 1 player at the University of Miami who reportedly earns hundreds of thousands of dollars per season, and Hila Karsh, 20, also a top division player at Purdue University, earning close to $200,000. "They love you because of the person you are and the player you are. Nationality in the US doesn't play a role," he explained.
What led to the rush of Israeli players, as well as European players, to the American market was the NIL agreements that began in 2021, which allow athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness through university-facilitated third-party arrangements such as sponsorships and endorsements. Previously, athletes who signed college basketball contracts waived this right.
NCAA eligibility rules also changed dramatically. Previously, players had to enroll in college basketball within one year of graduating high school. Now, athletes can wait up to four years after high school before joining a college program, though their remaining eligibility shrinks with each year they delay.
Israeli players benefit from a military service exemption in this calculation. That means someone like Noam Dovrat, despite eight years as a professional basketball player, still has two years of college eligibility remaining.
"I always followed college basketball but leaned more toward a career in Europe," Israeli basketball player Hila Karsh told Israel Hayom. "Last summer, an opportunity opened up at Purdue that I couldn't refuse, and I went for it wholeheartedly, and I don't feel I'm missing out. I enrolled to enhance my foundational skills and individual capabilities. The university provides elite-level resources toward achieving that objective, plus the opportunity to earn a degree simultaneously – an irreplaceable combination," she shared.
"Contrary to all concerns, here at Purdue, my experience is very respectful and welcoming," she said about her Israeli identity on campus. "Occasional political messaging or demonstrations occur nearby, but on the court, I'm being treated as first and foremost an athlete and as a human being. The team members didn't know much about the situation at home, so I had an opportunity to enlighten them a bit. They're very supportive and ask about the family's well-being frequently."
This golden opportunity for Israeli players has no expiration date, according to Shaham, at least not in the near future. "It doesn't seem the laws are going to change, and in the end, if we're talking about good players who are in a good place market-wise, there will be demand for them, and the numbers we've gotten used to seeing in recent years are here to stay," he explained.
And so, precisely in the grim reality where the word "Israeli" has become a slur and the values on which sport is based have been blurred, young Israelis are succeeding against all odds and living the American Dream in its fullest embodiment.
