Israel went wild after the Tel Aviv Maccabi basketball team’s surprise 91-79 victory over the Soviet Union’s champion Moscow team. The game was broadcast live from Belgium Feb. 17 during which time the streets of Israel’s major cities were almost empty. But as soon as the game ended, shortly before midnight, the streets erupted with people cheering and dancing and the sound of automobile horns. The victory assures Israel of a spot in the European Cup finals.
Premier Yitzhak Rabin led a list of ministers, Knesset members and others who cabled congratulations to the team. MKs Yosef Sarid of Labor and Ehud Ulmer of Likud said the Israeli sports award should go to American-born Tal Brodie, who is the captain of the Israeli team. They noted that Brodie is an example of a new immigrant who remained in Israel after the eighth Maccabiah, married and has built a home here. The Soviet radio broadcast the results of the game but its listeners were told that the Russian team had lost to the Italians.
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