Rachel Neiman
June 22, 2014

Sports is often used as a metaphor for politics and there’s no better one for international politics than the World Cup. The Israeli Cartoon Museum in Holon decided to honor this year’s competition with a nostalgic look back at caricatures inspired by “Mondials” in years gone by.

Not surprisingly, the 1970 World Cup —  the only time to date that Israel’s national football team qualified for the finals — figures largely in the exhibition.

Because the games took place during Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks) holiday, Ha’aretz cartoonist Yaakov “Ze’ev” Farkash depicted the team bearing the harvest bounty in a victory dance.  

2963

Illustrator Shmuel Katz captured the national mood of elation and hope…

2972

While Ma’ariv’s Kariel “Dosh” Gardosh had his iconic Israeli “Srulik” character — perennially clad in work clothes and kova tembel cap —  comment on the regional infighting between Jordan and Syria with, “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game”.

2957

Coach Emmanuel Scheffer was, for a brief and shining moment, a national hero but after Israel lost 0-2 to Uruguay, Ze’ev showed a man unable to control his team…

2961

And legendary Brazilian player Pele emerged as the true champion for years to come.

2968

To see the full Mondial 2014 exhibition online, visit the Israeli Cartoon Museum’s website.

More on Nostalgia Israel

Fighting for Israel's truth

We cover what makes life in Israel so special — it's people. A non-profit organization, ISRAEL21c's team of journalists are committed to telling stories that humanize Israelis and show their positive impact on our world. You can bring these stories to life by making a donation of $6/month. 

Jason Harris

Jason Harris

Executive Director

Read more: