BY KEVIN WACK | OTISFIELD, MAINE Teams clad in the same green T-shirts dribbled, passed and shot layups together, giving the Seeds of Peace the look of a typical summer camp.
But the participants at this Maine camp come from some of the most troubled parts of the world. Here, Israelis live in cabins alongside Palestinians, and Turkish Cypriots share meals with Greek Cypriots.
On Tuesday, a basketball clinic featuring former and present NBA players brought the campers together. Fahed Zoumot, a 17-year-old Jordanian who spends four hours every day playing basketball, didn’t attempt to hide his excitement when he had the chance to meet one of his heroes. “It’s B.J. Armstrong. Come on!” he scolded an unknowing Israeli girl.
Armstrong, a member of the Chicago Bulls title teams in the early 1990s, and four current NBA players hosted a clinic for the teenagers. The clinic was organized by Arn Tellem, the powerful basketball and baseball agent who is one of the camp’s benefactors. Antawn Jamison, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Carlos Boozer and Brent Barry—all Tellem clients—taught passing and dribbling fundamentals inside a rustic wood gymnasium.
Athletics have been an important part of Seeds of Peace throughout the camp’s 10-year existence. Organizers say that one way to overcome ethnic and religious barriers is by turning adversaries into teammates.
In addition to playing basketball, the NBA players will attend sessions on coexistence, a big part of the camp’s mission. Israelis will have a chance to voice their grievances in front of Palestinians, and vice versa.
“The conflict there touches people all over the world. So in a way, hopefully we can help,” Tellem said. “This is one of those moments where you think there’s a chance.”
Still, with Middle East violence raging and peace talks stalled, no one believes that this camp alone will solve the nations’ disputes.
Outside the gym, David Shoolman, a 17-year-old Israeli, discussed his mixed feelings about being drafted into the army next year. “I’ll be fighting for my country, yet I’ll be fighting some of my friends,” he said.
Jamison, a forward with the Golden State Warriors, said he was impressed by the campers’ ability to cope with strife, and put his profession into perspective. “For them, it’s really hard because half the time they’re concerned about a family member dying,” he said. “The only thing I’ve got to worry about is guarding Shaq.”
The NBA players said they were surprised by their sport’s rising international appeal. Armstrong, a teammate of Michael Jordan and presently the Bulls’ general manager, drew the loudest applause from the campers. Waleed Khalifeh, 15, said he often woke up in the middle of the night in his home in Amman, Jordan, to watch NBA playoff games. Tareq Efreitekh, a 15-year-old Palestinian who lives in Jerusalem, said he also has watched the NBA on television.
“I’m just too excited because the first time, I saw them on television. And now I see them face-to-face. It’s too beautiful,” said Efreitekh.
Tellem said he hopes one day to host an NBA clinic near many of the campers’ homes in the Middle East. “As they say, ‘Next year in Jerusalem,'” he said, alluding to a famous Jewish adage. “My dream is to do this in Jerusalem.”