Israel In World's Soccer Games

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                 

        The 2026 FIFA World Cup matches are jointly hosted across three North American countries: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.                                  

                Israeli team The Israel men's national football team is scheduled to play the Republic of Ireland on October 4, 2026. This UEFA Nations League match will be played at a neutral overseas venue and behind closed doors, having been relocated due to security and operational challenges. 

The governing body's board has held meetings in recent weeks to discuss the "operational aspects" of hosting Israel at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on 4 October.  Ireland was home for many Jews including my grandfather, Nathan Goldfoot/Goldfus. Despite the small numbers, Irish Jews have been deeply woven into the country's social and political fabric. For example, Chaim Herzog, who served as the sixth President of Israel, was born in Belfast and raised in Dublin,  but today Ireland is hostile to Israel.  This will be interesting.         

An Israeli flag was reportedly removed from a fan at a World Cup match between Iran and New Zealand, while nearby Palestinian flags were left in place, Hebrew media reported. The incident, filmed inside the stadium and circulated on social media, showed stewards asking a fan to hand over an Israeli flag during Iran’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup, Israel Hayom reported. The fan pointed to Palestinian flags being held a few rows away and accused the stewards of applying the rules unevenly.“Why don’t you tell them to take down their flag?” the fan said, according to Israel Hayom. “This feels like antisemitism. When you take that flag down, I’ll take mine down.” [The reason being that Palestine is receiving benefit from Iran, so they're not complaining].  {New Zealand's coalition government, led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, has repeatedly condemned civilian deaths in Gaza and demanded unfettered humanitarian assistance. However, the government has stopped short of officially recognizing Palestinian statehood, aligning more closely with traditional Western allies.}So New Zealand was no help, either.  Yes, it was an anti-Semitic move, but then the act itself was pretty off-color being neither was playing against Israel. Wave the flag when we play New Zealand, if that comes up.   

The Israel men's national football team is currently ranked 76th in the official FIFA World Rankings.  FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association. It is the global governing body for association football (known as soccer in the United States and Canada).                                                                             

     East wing of White House unfinished;  The East Wing housed several offices, including those of the first lady. It was built in 1902 and and has been renovated over the years, with a second story added in 1942, according to the White House. The Republican president had said in July when the project was announced that the ballroom would not interfere with the mansion itself. "It'll be near it but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of," he said of the White House. Construction for the new White House State Ballroom began in September 2025, following the demolition of the original East Wing structure in October 2025

At the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, D.C. on 5 December 2025, the inaugural prize was presented to Donald Trump, president of the United States, by head of FIFA Gianni Infantino.   Gianni Infantino holds citizenship in Switzerland, Italy, and Lebanon. 

Demolishing the historic East Wing to make way for a new State Ballroom is not Donald Trump's first demolition project. 

Decades before his presidency, in the early 1980s, Trump's first major real estate project in Manhattan involved demolishing the historic Bonwit Teller building—a famous department store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. He cleared the site in 1980 to build his flagship skyscraper, Trump Tower. 

The demolition of the White House's 1902/1942 East Wing is simply his most notable federal demolition, undertaken to build a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom for the executive mansion. 

World Cup: Argentina claimed the 1st prize at the last FIFA World Cup in 2022. The ongoing 2026 tournament is currently in its group stage.                                    

Group D:   USA vs. Australia was played today at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.  USA played Australia today.  USA Advances 🚨🇺🇸 FIFA World Cup Now reacts to USA's 2-0 win over Australia.  Sacha Kljestan, Mo Edu, Stu Holden, Brad Guzan and Melissa Ortiz reacts to USA's 2-0 win over Australia, which sends them to the Round of 32.

  update: 6/22/26 on demolishing

Trump's Mar-a-Lago Finished Ballroom Compared to White House Unfinished Ballroom

 Nadene Goldfoot                                           

                                                   The Trump Gilded Ballroom

At US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likely assumed that he was at the front of his host’s mind, or at least the issues he had come to discuss were: Gaza, Iran, Lebanon and a pardon. Mar-a-Lago ballroom is elegant.  

1/14/05: The main entrance into the new Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom, at Mar-a-Lago. (Lannis Waters/ The Palm Beach Post) newly built by January 14, 2005, 21 years ago.  

Mar-a-Lago's Grand Ballroom is readied for the Republican Party of Palm Beach County's Lincoln Day Dinner Friday, March 16, 2018. (Bruce R. Bennett / The Palm Beach Post)Bruce R. Bennett/The Palm Beach Post.  Look at that ceiling!

By all accounts, the two leaders enjoyed a friendly and productive meeting, and also spent New Year’s Eve together at the resort’s black tie ball.

[4/19]

A general view of the White House East Wing in 1906. The original small East Wing was built in 1902 during the administration of Teddy Roosevelt as an entrance for White House guests and visitors. via Library of Congress.

The East Wing of the White House was demolished in late 2025 to build a large ballroom, a project initiated by President Trump, sparking controversy and lawsuits from preservationists who argued it lacked proper federal review and congressional approval.  Demolition began in October 2025, with the structure largely gone by late 2025.

The new, expansive ballroom, intended for large events is still in the air, not replacing the historic East Wing, which had served as offices for the First Lady and her staff, a visitor entrance, and housed the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.   

The full East Wing of the White House is being torn down to make way for President Trump's new ballroom, contradicting his pledge that the project would not interfere with the existing U.S. landmark.  1/19]25 The demolition of the East Wing of the White House, the location of President Trump's proposed ballroom, is seen from an elevated position on the North side of the White House, October 23. REUTERS/ Andrew Leyden Purchase Licensing Rights

The Wing was demolished, leaving the walls open to the public.It is to be paid for by: Claims by the administration to be privately funded, with major corporations and individuals donating.  No money showing up;  no building going on.  Controversy: Preservation groups sued, alleging violations of federal laws requiring environmental and design reviews, and congressional authorization for such significant changes to a historic site.  Historical Context: While controversial, additions and changes to the White House campus, including the East Wing itself (built in the 1940s), have occurred throughout history. 

                  Nope, not like this?  

There wasn't a "demolition crew" for the entire East Wing; rather, construction firm Clark Construction led recent work under the Trump administration (Oct. 2025) to renovate/rebuild parts of it, particularly for a new ballroom, working with McCrery Architects, following plans that involved removing existing structures and adding new. Finishing the East Wing into a new, larger ballroom at the White House involves a projected cost of around $300 million, funded by private donors, with demolition of the existing East Wing occurring to build a 90,000 sq ft structure for large events. The project, championed by President Trump, is the most significant physical change to the White House in decades, sparking controversy despite assurances of no taxpayer expense, according to news reports from late 2025. 

                          Truman and Churchill at Blair House

The East Wing's core structure has seen major internal gutting during the Truman renovation (1948-1952) and additions in 1902 and 1942. From 1948 to 1952, the entire White House, including the East Wing's structure, underwent President Harry Truman's massive "gut renovation" to address severe structural issues, involving dismantling the interiors, preserving only outer walls, and rebuilding with modern steel and concrete, making it safe but also drawing criticism for losing historic interiors, notes NPR. Structural Collapse Fear: The aging structure was declared unsafe, with floors sinking, requiring the Trumans to move to Blair House for years.                 

Harry S. Truman was President from April 12, 1945 to January 20, 1953, a total of 8 years or 2 terms.  

Resource:

https://www.npr.org/2025/10/23/nx-s1-5583588/trump-east-wing-ballroom-white-house-renovation-history#:~:text=%22The%20secretive%20nature%20of%20the,from%20preservationists%20and%20the%20public.

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/picture-gallery/news/trump/2025/10/24/trump-grand-ballroom-at-mar-a-lago-palm-beach-white-house-photos/86833590007/