Public backlash erupts as sacred Jewish identity is mocked on state radio, exposing deep cultural double standards.
Israeli journalist Rina Mazliah ignited a national controversy after declaring she was “disgusted” by soccer players who quietly recite Shema Yisrael before taking the field.
Speaking on Kan Reshet Bet, Mazliah criticized the visible expression of Jewish faith, questioning why players choose to say the prayer moments before a match. “Go in, play,” she said, dismissing the practice as inappropriate and offensive.
The remarks immediately triggered widespread anger across social media, with many Israelis accusing Mazliah of showing contempt toward a core element of Jewish identity—broadcast on a publicly funded platform.
Critics pointed out the glaring double standard: Christian athletes regularly cross themselves, Muslim players bow in prayer, and both acts are widely respected as personal expressions of faith. Only Jewish tradition, they argued, was singled out as “disgusting.”
Others described the comments as a form of internalized antisemitism, questioning how a public broadcaster could tolerate open derision of a prayer drawn directly from Deuteronomy—a verse recited by Jews for millennia in moments of fear, hope, and resolve.
For many, the incident went beyond sports commentary. It reopened a deeper debate over identity, tradition, and whether Jewish symbols are uniquely policed—even in the Jewish state.
The public reaction made one point unmistakably clear: faith is not a provocation, and Jewish prayer is not something to be shamed.
