Score One For Tolerance

For a brief moment in March, Abbas Suan achieved what politicians in more than a half-century have not: he united the Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel. During a World Cup qualifying match against Ireland at the Ramat Gan Stadium, the midfielder from the poor Arab village of Sakhnin blasted a last-minute goal that tied the score at 1-1.

The goal rescued Israel's hopes of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup and sparked national delirium. "The goal was a miracle," says Suan, 29, a devout Muslim who speaks openly about bridging the gap between Jews and Arabs. "It...