Hassan Boustouni was an

Arab Israeli The Arab citizens of Israel are the largest ethnic minority in the country. They comprise a hybrid community of Israeli citizens with a heritage of Palestinian citizenship, mixed religions (Muslim, Christian or Druze), bilingual in Arabic an ...

footballer with

Maccabi Haifa F.C. Maccabi Haifa Football Club ( he, מועדון הכדורגל מכבי חיפה, ''Moadon HaKaduregel Maccabi Haifa'') is an Israeli professional football club, based in the city of Haifa, Israel, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The cl ...

Beginning his career in 1963, Boustouni was the first Arab footballer in the league's history. He was also the nephew of

Rostam Bastuni Rostam Bastuni ( ar, رستم بستوني, he, רוסתם בסתוני; 15 March 1923 – 26 April 1994) was an Israeli politician and journalist, and the first Israeli Arab to represent a Zionist party in the Knesset. Biography Bastuni was bo ...

, the first

Arab citizen of Israel The Arab citizens of Israel are the largest ethnic minority in the country. They comprise a hybrid community of Israeli citizens with a heritage of Palestinian citizenship, mixed religions (Muslim, Christian or Druze), bilingual in Arabic an ...

to represent a

Zionist Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...

party in the

Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...

.Palestinian Nationalism Has Left the Field: A Shortened History of Arab Soccer in Israel
by Tamir Sorek, International Journal of Middle East Studies, August 2003

References

Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Arab-Israeli footballers Arab citizens of Israel Israeli footballers Maccabi Haifa F.C. players Association footballers not categorized by position {{Israel-footy-bio-stub