Anan Khalaili is set to join one of the most pro-Israel and pro-Jewish clubs in the world. While Crystal Palace is not considered an explicitly "Jewish club" like Tottenham or Ajax, the team is partially owned (20%) by American-Jewish businessmen and supporters of Israel, Josh Harris and David Blitzer. In addition, it was among the few to issue an unequivocal statement of support for Israel after October 7.
While other clubs in England tried not to anger sponsors from the oil emirates, Palace was very clear about its support. "More than 1,000 Israeli citizens, along with other citizens who arrived from all over the world, including from Great Britain, were murdered or kidnapped in Israel by Hamas terrorists on Saturday," an official statement on the club's website read. "We add our voice to the global condemnation of the deaths of all innocent people."
Crystal Palace’s Jewish and Israeli connection
However, Palace's Jewish-Israeli connection does not end there. Most Jews in London are located in the north and northwest of the city (in places like Barnet, Golders Green, or Stamford Hill), but there are several important and very pro-Israel Jewish communities in South London. One of them is in Bromley, where Mark Goldenberg was born - a British-Jewish businessman who purchased the team in 1998.
Even before completing the purchase (which ultimately led to his bankruptcy), Goldenberg partially funded bringing Itzik Zohar to South London - a move widely regarded as one of the worst signings in the club's history, as well as the pop career of his daughter, who recorded a modern version of "Hava Nagila."
Apart from that, in late 2018 and early 2019, Palace sent its youth team (under-19) to Tel Aviv to compete in Maccabi Tel Aviv's winter tournament. The club even produced a multi-part documentary series titled "Coming of Age: The Academy in Israel," which documented the team's matches, cultural tours in Jerusalem, and meetings with former Israel national team manager Avraham Grant.
Palace did not fly the flag of support for Israel as a political statement, but rather as an extension of South London's DNA - an area inhabited by many immigrants, children of immigrants, and their grandchildren. Many of them came from Africa and the Caribbean, but quite a few also came from the Middle East, and as noted, at least four Jewish communities operate there. The club takes great pride in local culture and diversity, operating in accordance with values of inclusion and acceptance.
South London DNA: Culture, grit, and 120% effort
"We are very proud of our location in London and the special character of the area and the team," explained Ohad Efrat, an Israeli working in the youth department. "It's not for nothing that they say 'South London and Proud' here. It's something very present in the culture. We have new pitches, which in my opinion are even a bit too modern and pleasant (because after all, we aren't spoiled like the clubs in the north), and the grass on them feels like a cloud. This is the result of the groundskeepers, who simply give 120%. Even the people with the least glamorous roles give their maximum, because of their pride in working in such a place. These are exactly the types of people they look for here. They won't accept someone for a role who won't give 100% of themselves - even for the smallest position."
That is precisely what will be expected of Khalaili: 120 percent effort. At Palace - from the youth to the senior squad - they are aware that they cannot always bring in players with the softest touch in the world, but it is important to them that recruits understand that if they do not give their all on the pitch, they simply will not play. This is true for the youth department, whose players always run more than their opponents, and it is also true for the senior team.
"The ability to run is critical for us," Efrat added. "Everything is very scientific. They measure how much you run, and in training, you give everything. They evaluate a lot through an athletic prism and physiological tests. Training is conducted at a very high intensity. No other academy trains like this. Sometimes it makes learning pure soccer a bit difficult, but here we teach how to run and win, because that is our relative advantage over other teams that have the money to bring in the biggest stars."
Anan Khalaili’s tactical fit and role on the pitch
Khalaili is expected to fit into the right-wing position in a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation under the new manager who arrived from Lens, Pierre Sage. He is expected to compete for the role against 30-year-old Colombian Daniel Muñoz, and it is likely that Caleb Kporha, a promising 20-year-old right-back, will need to find a new team following the move.
Óscar Mingueza, who grew up at Barcelona and arrived this summer from Celta Vigo, will likely occupy the right center-back position in the back three - especially after the sale of Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea. Incidentally, the winger was brought to the club partly because of his high resale potential. Khalaili, who will celebrate his 22nd birthday in September, could be sold for a significant profit if the partnership under Sage bears fruit.