Settlers, 11, Palestinians 0

Beit Arieh in the West Bank inaugurates a soccer field with a good-natured game against neighboring Al-Laban

When the settlement of Beit Arieh inaugurated its new soccer field on Sunday, it celebrated in what might seem an unlikely fashion for a Jewish community in the West Bank: Palestinian residents of the neighboring village Al-Laban, in the northern West Bank, were challenged to a friendly match in celebration of the opening.

The game was the latest in a series of cooperative activities that have taken place between the two communities over the last several years, Maariv reported on Tuesday, and attracted the participation of actor Dan Tourgeman and director Rami Damari.

The Beit Arieh team trounced Al-Laban 11-0, but one member of the losing side was quoted as saying, “What do the numbers matter? This is for fun, for sport and for friendship. We’ll win the next game.”