It is easier to form an opinion when the truth is laid out before us on WhatsApp messages and with Almog Booker's narration.
"Evening with two minors, mother. One thing bothered me, that it came too easily. Losing the thrill," Dor Micah ticked on her cell phone.
"Yes, it was too easy," replied Omar Atzil.
Now, when the truth is out and we have been exposed to the conquest technique of the football stars, to pimping attempts on girls and mixing with drugs and alcohol, it is time to throw up Atzili and Micah from Israeli football without the sports media cracking up.
The writing was on the wall in such large letters that they made Atzili write a message to Micah in shaky letters: "It's scary, they're children. I don't know if drugs and things like that are allowed with them."
And these two are cultural heroes and revered figures.
In stunning timing, on the occasion of Atzili's 29th birthday, last night News 13 broadcast the first part of Booker's article which provided a glimpse into the behavior of the footballers.
We saw suspicion of crimes and exploitation of minors, and it is also possible to infer the use of cocaine and a complete understanding of the event.
The affair exploded two years ago - they were 15 years old, under the age of consent, and told the players that they were over 17. Since then, an amazing thing has happened in the space called the sports street.
Just as Keshet whitewashed Assi Ezer, like they are trying to whitewash Eil Golan, like they did to Abram Grant, this is how the communication with Atzili worked from the moment the police case was closed.
He got discounts.
Close associates defended him, nurtured him, commentators demanded his time for the national team, used his goals to promote games and chose him as the player of the season.
At the end of the normalization, the sports channel received an exclusive interview with Atzili, during which the affair was not mentioned.
Just the other day, in "The Night Studio", Eyal Berkovich voiced a defensive line of "What are the players guilty of? They sent them fake IDs".
By the way, a lie.
And there was also, "I know a lot of lying girls. When a girl lies she should be guilty";
And of course: "Players are not allowed to use drugs, but if they used drugs then they are done with Israeli football."
The fact that here 11 broadcast several national team games with the participation of Azili, but no one in the studio mentioned the moral problem (if he deserves to represent a country), is a failure of public broadcasting.
The media must not whitewash characters with a scale of values like that of Azili and Micah.
Our children adore them, hang their posters, wear shirts with their name on them, imitate them and want to be near them.
In their behavior they represent a club and a community.
This is the reason they were expelled from Maccabi Tel Aviv at the time - it is clear that both of them cannot serve as role models in a moral society.
It doesn't matter if it's criminal or not - this is a war on values.
It is irrelevant that the case was closed due to lack of guilt, because the stain is indelible.
Both failed the moral test, and Almog Booker's important article provided proof.
Booker is one of the few who fought for the girls.
He exposed the affair, makes sure to call them "victims", fights lies and faces critics who insist that his motives are vindictive due to his sympathy for one of the groups.
Yesterday he was joined by Moshe Primo and Eli Sahar, who devoted part of their show "Five in the Air" on Sport 5 to interview a Hapoel BS fan and father of three daughters about his attitude to Micah, and read tweets from Maccabi Haifa fans who oppose Atzili.
Because the affair of footballers and minors is not a power struggle between teams and fans or a sleazy glimpse into the dark side of football - it is much more than that.
It is ground on which to conduct an important and progressive discourse on sports culture, on values and morals, on the treatment of women on the courts, on bitter relationships and the limits of admiration.
The affair of the footballers and minors, network 13, the main edition, were we wrong?
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