Arab-Israeli kickboxer Loay Sakas won the gold medal at the seventh International Turkish Open Kickboxing World Cup in Istanbul, held from May 12-15.

The Christian athlete raised an Israeli flag after defeating Slovakian opponent Marek Karlik in the under-75-kilogram weight class.

Sakas told Israel’s Channel 12 that he hopes to encourage coexistence by representing Israel in international competitions. “I’m first and foremost an Israeli citizen,” said Sakas. “I do not care about Judaism, Islam, Christianity or Druze. I represent the country and want everyone here to live in peace with each other.”

Speaking about his decision to hold up Israel’s flag following his victory, he explained: “I expect every Israeli citizen to wave the Israeli flag. I do not try to rile up people or anything like that. I wave the flag because I am an Israeli citizen.”

Read more at JNS

Subscribe to start receiving FREE TORCH magazines from CUFI UK

Related Articles:

The Battle for Britain

Eighty-six years ago, the skies over Britain witnessed over three months of aerial combat. The Battle of Britain marked one of the most critical turning points of the Second World War, forcing...

Israel, you are not alone! (A message for October 7th)

Today marks three years since the world witnessed unimaginable evil being unleashed upon Israel. On October 7th, 2023, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups invaded Israel and murdered over...

An Israeli miracle in the sky and antisemitic lies on the ground

"If the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us." (Psalm 124:2-3) An Israeli miracle in the sky We have all heard...

A new year, a renewed commitment to Israel (Rosh Hashanah)

To all our Jewish friends in the UK, Israel, and around the world, we wish you Shana Tova u'metukah - A good and sweet New Year! During the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), it is traditional to dip...

A UK ban on trade with Israeli settlements would disgrace Britain

The UK is poised to ban trade with Israeli settlements, penalising the Jewish state for allowing Jews to build new homes in the heart of their ancient homeland. The UK itself knows how important...