A female taekwondo champion will fight for Israel at the Beijing Olympics.
Bat-El Gatterer, a 21-year-old resident of Kochav Yaakov, a Jewish settlement near Ramallah, is among 42 athletes Israel is sending to next month’s Games in the Chinese capital.
Though religiously observant, Gatterer served in the Israeli military while training in the Korean martial art which was recognized as an Olympic sport in 2000. She took the bronze medal at an Olympic qualifying tournament in Turkey in January, competing in the 110-125 pound weight category.
A daughter of French-born immigrants, Gatterer identifies as a settler – possibly the first with a shot at an Olympic medal – but has said she feels as though she is representing the entire Jewish state.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
