when the cup runneth over

This weekend I purchased Israeli wine and received a bottle of Israeli wine as a gift. Outwardly, there is nothing particularly special or unique about buying a bottle of wine as I do not live in Saudi Arabia but in Canada. The uniqueness of the act is because, well, I rarely buy any kind of wine and I choose Israeli wine as a direct result of international boycott of all Israeli products. I even went so far as to ensure that the wine I purchased was made from grapes grown in the Golan Heights. It’s a small thing, and if the government of Israel had to rely on my patronage, the economy of Israel would surely falter and fail. I have many failings but excessive drinking wine or spirits would never be numbered among them.

It’s a small act but a life is filled up with seemingly small acts and moral choices. This weekend a Ghanaian football player expressed his joy in winning against an opposing team and wanted to express his gratitude to his regular home team for giving him the opportunity to play football on a regular basis and so he pulled an Israeli flag out of his sock and waved it to the crowd at the World Cup match.

The denouncements have come fast and furious from Arab governments, media and general public. The biblical phrase ‘world without end’ comes to mind to characterize it all. Yesterday, the Ghanaian Football Association motivated solely by the irrational and infantile hatred of the Arab world issued a very public apology to all for the act of John Pantsil and three of his team mates for waving an Israel flag in gratitude to a people that have made a place for him in their club and in their country. This account is taken from the Jerusalem Post:

Ghana's Football Association apologized on Monday after John Pantsil, who plays for Hapoel Tel Aviv, pulled out an Israeli flag during Saturday's 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic. "It was an action out of naiveté and we apologize to anyone who was offended. It will never happen again," Ghana FA spokesman Randy Abbey said.

"He was obviously unaware of the implications of what he did... He's extremely popular in Israel and he wanted to thank the fans who traveled to see him play," Abbey said. Pantsil, 25, pulled out a small Israeli flag from his sock during goal celebrations at Cologne Stadium. Abbey said that there had been complaints to the Ghana FA but did not elaborate.

"We're not here for politics... We don't support Israel or Arab nations... It was unfortunate that the player was ignorant about the political situation." Abbey added: "But he has apologized to us and I think the matter should end there."

During the course of my working life I have had the privilege to meet and work with many Ghanaians. I have never experienced collectively a warmer or more generous people, and because of that, I quite understand why John Pantsil and his team mates would be motivated to express their gratitude to the Israeli fans who had traveled to Cologne and to the wider group of Israelis that would have been watching him play on television by waving his Israeli flag - quid pro quid.How sad it is to see the Black Star of Africa falter in the face of the rabid mob of the Arab world.