On the 26th November, for the very first time, a mixed team of Arab and Israeli girls took part in the opening game of the Israeli Youth League for Girls. The team from Kiriyat Gat and Beit Safafa are aged 12 – 15 and are young ‘graduates’ from the Peres Center for Peace’s “Twinned Peace Football Schools” program which is sponsored by Canadian Heritage.

Two ex-Israeli League players and veteran coaches of the "Twinned Peace Football Schools" program are now coaching the girls on a regular basis and hope that they will soon rise to the top of the league.  This is an encouraging development in the field of sport for girls in the region, and will send the message that women’s emancipation has a defined future in the region.