ISRAEL: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband thanks Israel for stunning soccer win over Russia /Israelis give reactions

British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs David Miliband praises Israel's soccer win over Russia in a Euro 2008 qualifying match because it boosts England's chances. British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs David Miliband thanked Israelis on Sunday (November 18) for the country's stunning 2-1 soccer win over Russia in a Euro 2008 qualifying match, because it boosted England's chances of qualifying. English chances of qualifying for the Euro 2008 finals were poor unless the Israelis beat the supposedly stronger Russians. With Israel's victory, England can now reach the finals in Austria and Switzerland if they at least draw with already-qualified Croatia in their Group E clash at Wembley on Wednesday. Russia, who next Andorra, have to hope that England lose. Arriving for a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Miliband said: "Every Englishman is a friend of Israel today, an even greater friend of Israel. We thank you very, very much. It's amazing after our partnership in science, in politics, in education -- we have a partnership now in sport and in football especially. I think it's wonderful. So I give the foreign minister the personal credit for the performance of the team yesterday." Livni replied that she had been in a football team in her youth. Israelis on the streets of the coastal city of Tel Aviv voiced joy and pride over the win. "We always loved the British people and I hope the British people always loved us. This is our present for the British fans and I hope it is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. God save the Queen!" said Shay. Israel's newspapers reflected the country's elation. 'We have given the Brits a mandate', read a banner headline in the centre spread of the mass-circulation Yedioth Ahronoth daily -- a play on Britain's rule over Palestine before Israel's independence in 1948. Another Tel Aviv resident, Elinor, commented: "I think it's better anyway for Israel because it gives us more points. Israel is back on the map. Usually we are not so good in football." Yedioth's sports section led with a picture of Omer Golan, who scored the injury time winner which sank Russia coach Guus Hiddink's men and described him as the 'King of England'. The Maariv tabloid said that with the win, Israeli soccer had 'entered the family of nations' and had 'shown contempt for all the conspiracy theories' that had been spread before the match saying that they would allow Russia to win. Isaac Levy of Tel Aviv reacted to the win with a tint of cynicism, referring to relations between some British and Israeli academics. "The British they love us for a while, well, the next few days. Then they'll start again with their embargo on us, professionals from the university. What else do you want to know? So, we should have not won the game, we should have given it a tie," said Levy.

ITN Source | November 19, 2007

Tags:. .especially. .yesterday. .russians. .poor. .youth