Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., November 06, 2007 Cheshvan 25, 5768 | | Israel Time: 06:50 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Print Edition Diplomacy Defense Arts & Leisure Real Estate Jewish World National Advertising Magazine Week's End Business Opinion Rosner's Domain Anglo File Books Travel

Toto Tamuz: This is the happiest moment of my life. (Archives) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 00:14 26/06/2007 Bar-On approves citizenship for soccer players Tamuz and Colautti By Moshe Boker, Haaretz Correspondent Toto Tamuz and Roberto Colautti will again be eligible to play for the national team after Interior Minister Roni Bar-On approved their requests for full citizenship Monday. Bar-On's move came following a request by Israel Football Association chairman Avi Luzon to accelerate the procedure for national team players. "The decision by FIFA [to require full citizenship for national team players] could have been a big blow to the national team," Bar-On said. "I was convinced that these players are legal Israeli residents who are entitled to Israeli citizenship in the future, and who have attached their fates to the fate of the nation. The success of the national team justifies shortening the process." Advertisement The granting of citizenship will be contingent on the two players' signing documents in which they commit to being a part of the national team any time they are called up, and being drafted into the Israel Defense Forces if requested. They will receive passports valid for one year, during which time the Interior Ministry will decide how for long they should be renewed. "We are happy and pleased by the Interior Minister's decision, and we thank him and the ministry's director general Ram Belinkov," Luzon said. Colautti and Tamuz were pleased with the decision. "This is the happiest moment of my life," Tamuz said. "I've waited for this for so many years, and finally I can be like all of the children who grew up in Israel." "I knew that I would receive citizenship, but didn't know it would happen quickly," Colautti said. Bookmark to del.icio.us Envoy to the stars With a revival of political satire, Fairuz takes stage in Amman. Diaspora meddlers Should U.S. Jews have a voice in shaping Israel's policies?   1.   What a joke? 00:41  |  manny 26/06/07   2.   giving citizenship to footballers 01:33  |  David 26/06/07   3.   can I get israeli citizenship too - I`m great at darts? 01:55  |  John Smith 26/06/07   4.   Great News 01:55  |  Danny 26/06/07   5.   the death of zionism 02:03  |  Daniel Cohen 26/06/07   6.   they contribute not like many israeli-arabs or their political el 02:15  |  ralph 26/06/07   7.   a lesson to israeli-arabs and their political elite contribute 02:17  |  ralph 26/06/07   8.   Offer US passports 04:58  |  steve 26/06/07   9.   This is sadly reminiscenmt 08:07  |  Yonatan 26/06/07   10.   Daniel: You are so wrong... 08:37  |  Angel 26/06/07   11.   Sport transcends religion 08:44  |  Big Al 26/06/07   12.   To #3 John Smith.... 08:45  |  Dart Player 26/06/07   13.   Don`t be so quick to judge 09:36  |  Dan 26/06/07   14.   John Smith 10:38  |  Zola Bud 26/06/07   15.   Toto Tamus is a model Israeli 10:44  |  Alon 26/06/07   16.   will it be revoked if they dont score goals ? 10:49  |  victor hardman 26/06/07   17.   # 13 Dan 12:19  |  Axel 26/06/07   18.   Israeli Arabs - Ralph 12:22  |  Charlie 26/06/07   19.   ISRAELI CITIZENSHIP 13:19  |  YAAKOV 26/06/07   20.   To John Smith 19:13  |  Czarkazem13 26/06/07   21.   Racism is so beastly 06:15  |  Joseph 06/11/07

Today Online IAF drops flares over Lebanon coast after Hezbollah exercise Responses: 356 Akiva Eldar: Question of when, not if, Mideast goes nuclear Responses: 77 PM slams 'violent brutes' of Beitar J'lem who booed Rabin Responses: 141 Abbas: Aiming for peace deal before Bush leaves office Responses: 185 Rosner's Domain * Should American Jews have a voice in shaping Israel's policies? * Rosner's Guest: The significance of Pharaoh's daughter * Will an Arab-American political block make a diference? * Poll: A "regional peace settlement" before Bush leaves office? More Headlines 04:39 U.S. expert: $20M smuggled into Gaza monthly 05:46 MK Yisrael Hasson scorns PM's pre-summit talks with PA, calling them 'fantasy' 04:29 HAARETZ EXCLUSIVE: Bill Clinton remembers Yitzhak Rabin 06:44 Fragment of ancient parchment from Bible given to Jerusalem scholars 05:21 MAG demands Winograd war report halted until accused officers are warned 03:19 Histadrut threatens mega-strike in support of high school teachers 02:14 Center for study of war, terrorism opens doors in Tel Aviv 03:09 Israel suffers from environmental problems of developing world 02:56 Two found guilty of forging Greek Orthodox patriarch's signature 03:14 Lack of apprenticeships keeps lab technicians from state licensure Previous Editions Select Day 05 nov 04 nov 02 nov 01 nov 31 oct 30 oct 29 oct 28 oct 26 oct 25 oct 24 oct 23 oct

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