A leading FIFA representative tried on Friday (2nd October) to defuse a row between Israel and Palestine.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

A Palestine proposal to throw Israel out of FIFA for obstructing the free movement of players and equipment was dropped at the FIFA Congress in May.

Instead, they settled for the establishment of a monitoring group led by South African businessman and human rights activist Tokyo Sexwale.

But a recent move to switch Palestine's forthcoming World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia from home soil to neutral ground has caused anger in the region.

Palestine's FA has protested both to FIFA President Sepp Blatter and to Asian Football Association chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

Sheikh Salman was one of the three pivotal figures, along with Michel Platini and Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, who made the decision in favour of the Saudis.

Blatter has made it a priority to try and build lasting trust between Palestinian and Israeli officials.

To that end, Sexwale proposed a symbolic game between Israel and Palestine.

Tel Aviv, Israel. 2nd October, 2015.

1. 00:00 Chairman of the FIFA Monitoring Committee Israel and Palestine, Tokyo Sexwale, walking in corridor.

2. 00:13 Sexwale walking into press room.

3. 00:21 Cameraman.

4. 00:24 SOUNDBITE (English): Tokyo Sexwale, Chairman of the FIFA Monitoring Committee, Israel & Palestine

(Is he still considering running for FIFA president?) "I have issued a statement when the rumours started following the meeting with the FIFA draw in St. Petersburg. But I will apply my mind. There is a still a deadline I think it ends on the 26th of this month? Yes. But we still have some days and I am sure that in the right time I will make a pronouncement."

5. 00:53 Cameraman.

6. 00:57 SOUNDBITE (English): Tokyo Sexwale, Chairman of the FIFA Monitoring Committee, Israel and Palestine:

(How does he think FIFA was damaged by the criminal investigation opened into Sepp Blatter?) "I think for the purpose of this meeting I would like refrain from talking about the problems of FIFA. They are there, you know them and there will be relevant people to deal with that. But one hopes that at the end of the day for the sake of football again as it is played by small children in the dusty bowls of Chad or outside of the earthquake of Nepal, as it is played by Messi and Ronaldo, I hope that in the interest of the beautiful game FIFA will find a resolution to it's problems. I have opinions, very strong ones, but I don't think this press conference is for that."

7. 01:44 Cameraman.

8. 01:49 SOUNDBITE (English): Tokyo Sexwale, Chairman of the FIFA Monitoring Committee, Israel and Palestine:

"This is our meeting number one. We are all engaged and I find that all parties are interested in finding solutions that will make the play an enjoyment of football to be fulfilled. The question we are still going to be discussing is the one of the territories, and we are mindful that that question if resolution, belongs to political authorities, both here in Israel and elsewhere because this question has been internationalised. But I want to make it very clear, it is not a FIFA issue it is not our problem sitting inside this meeting, but it is a problem that is confronting football, and we have to come to a resolution of that problem, advising the relevant political authorities both here in Israel and elsewhere, to assist us in resolution of that problem."

9. 02:55 Cameraman.

10. 02:57 SOUNDBITE (English): Tokyo Sexwale, Chairman of the FIFA Monitoring Committee, Israel and Palestine:

"I proposed the meeting between the national team of Israel and the national team of Palestine to take place in South Africa. It is my proposal - not at today's meeting, but I proposed it at our meeting in Zurich, what we call the kick off meeting that was chaired by Mr. Blatter. So I hope that when all is said and done, there will be that kind of game because we had used football quite a lot in other situations to bring friendship and peace among people."

11. 03:34 Sexwale, Ofer Eini, head of the Israeli Football Association and Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association.

Nineteen year-old Dean Kremer, the first Israel citizen to be selected in Major League Baseball's player draft, talks to SNTV about his fledgling career.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Teenager Dean Kremer is the golden boy of Israeli baseball, the first citizen to be selected in the Major League draft and the country's greatest hope of lifting the sport out of its long-time second-class status.

Though he was born and raised in Stockton, California, to Israeli parents, Kramer identifies as Israeli, spends his summers in the Jewish State and is fluent in Hebrew.

He's the pin-up athlete of Israel's national team and sent local pride skyrocketing in June when the San Diego Padres selected him in the 38th round of the Major League Baseball draft.

"(I'm) definitely honoured," he said on Sunday, when SNTV caught up with the 6-foot 2-inch (1.88 metres) pitcher at an Israeli team practice session in Tel Aviv. "I like to represent my country in any way possible."

Baseball has historically been the most popular sport among American Jews and there are currently about 15 playing in the major leagues, including All-Stars Ryan Braun and Ian Kinsler.

But in sports-mad Israel, soccer and basketball reign supreme and baseball is still mostly a curiosity.

For decades, it has been the domain of a small but loyal group of ex-patriots and has failed to catch on with the rough-and-tumble 'sabras' (Jews born in Israel - or before 1948 in Palestine) who, when it came to imported American sports, took more of a liking to the hard-hitting nature of the NFL (National Football League).

In 2007, a group of American supporters launched the Israel Baseball League, a professional league comprised almost entirely of foreign players - that folded after just one season.

Then in 2012, Israel fielded a qualifying team for the World Baseball Classic which was similarly staffed by top-notch American Jews, who were eligible to play for it under a controversial 'heritage' clause.

That team was managed by Brad Ausmus of the Detroit Tigers and included former All-Star Shawn Green, recently waived Oakland A's slugger Nate Freiman and Joc Pederson, a Los Angeles Dodgers rookie who made this year's National League All-Star team and finished second in the Home Run Derby.

But Kremer, who is due to enrol at the University of Nevada Las Vegas on a baseball scholarship this autumn, has deeper roots in Israel.

He's been part of the national baseball development programme since he was 14 and grew up speaking Hebrew at home.

The sport has made great strides since the arrival two years ago of Nate Fish as the Israel Association of Baseball's first paid full-time national director.

Fish said there are currently about 800 players in Israel in all age groups and he's hopeful that some will go on to play college ball in the (United) States.

"It's tough to say what is going to happen with the guy (Kremer)," Fish said. "But he has all of the things that you need to be successful at that level and get into the major leagues."

Fish, who played his own college ball at the University of Cincinnati, alongside future All-Star Kevin Youkilis, added that Kremer would have been a much higher pick had he not already committed to UNLV.

He said Kremer's selection means a lot to the status of baseball in Israel and he envisions a bright future for his current teammate in Team Israel, the 22nd-ranked squad in the world.

Kremer, a 'righty' (right-hander) who also throws a slider, curve and splitter, gets the most attention in Israel for his 'heater'.

The fastballs of the best local pitchers top out in the mid-80s in terms of miles per hour (mph).

According to his manager, Richard Kania, Kremer "touches the low-90s". Children line the gates to watch him warm-up, and are put in a state of awe by the sound of his fastball snapping against the catcher's mitt.

Kremer himself seems to be enjoying the ride, bilingually joking around with veteran teammates and also giving tips to aspiring youngsters.

"I did get a lot of questions from the kids throughout the camp in the past two weeks, asking me questions about the draft and asking me how to get better," he said. "I feel like watching my progress will help inspire them."

Tel Aviv, Israel. 19th July 2015

1. 00:00 Mid shot of Dean Kremer, pan down to Kremer gripping a ball

2. 00:06 Ground shot of Kremer pitching

3. 00:09 Close up Israeli flag on Kremer's shirt sleeve

4. 00:11 Mid shot of Kremer watching practice and speaking in Hebrew

5. 00:17 Wide shot of team warming up for practice, pan down

6. 00:21 Mid shot Kremer pitching

7. 00:24 Cutaway sign reading "Home" and "do not hit balls into the fence" in English and Hebrew

8. 00:27 SOUNDBITE (English) Dean Kremer:

"Definitely honoured. I like to represent my country in any way possible and it's definitely unreal."

9. 00:38 Mid shot Kremer, pull out to team stretching

10. 00:44 SOUNDBITE (English) Nate Fish, National Director, Israel Association of Baseball:

"You know, it's tough to say what is going to happen with the guy, but he has all of the things that you need to be successful at that level and get to the major leagues."

11. 00:52 Mid shot Kremer warming up

12. 00:55 Wide shot of team warming up

13. 00:59 Mid shot players sorting out baseballs

14. 01:02 Mid shot of Kremer pitching

15. 01:06 Wide shot of team practicing

16. 01:10 Wide shot of Dean Kremer throwing

17. 01:12 Close up of gym bag with Israeli flag

18. 01:15 SOUNDBITE (English) Dean Kremer:

"I did get a lot of questions from the kids throughout the camp in the past two weeks, asking me questions about the draft and asking me how to get better and I feel like watching my progress will help inspire them."

14. 01:27 Low shot of Kremer pitching

15. 01:31 Various of Kremer throwing and pitching

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 01:43

Shurat HaDin-Israel Law Centre asks FIFA to expel Jibril Rajoub, the head of the Palestinian football Association, Jibril Rajoub, for "violating FIFA's statutes."

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SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

An Israel-based rights organisation urged FIFA President Sepp Blatter on Tuesday (26th May) to expel the head of the Palestinian football Association, Jibril Rajoub, for "violating FIFA's statutes."

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner the founder of Shurat HaDin, said Rajoub should not be a representative who has access to FIFA.

Earlier this week Rajoub said that he is pressing ahead with his bid to oust Israel from FIFA despite efforts from its President, Sepp Blatter, to defuse the crisis.

Blatter was recently in the region on a self-described "mission of peace" to resolve tensions between the two sides.

Palestinians say Israeli security restrictions are limiting the movement of Palestinian players, visiting teams and equipment and have put forward a proposal to suspend Israel from world soccer at the 209-nation FIFA meeting on 29th May.

Blatter opposes the suspension vote, saying Israel has not broken FIFA statutes in a political issue outside of soccer's control.

Tel Aviv, Israel. 26th May, 2015.

1. 00.00 Wide shot of Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, an attorney, and the founder of Shurat HaDin Israeli Law Centre, walking into office.

2. 00.16 Close-up of sign on door reading (Hebrew, English) "Shurat Hadin, Israel law centre".

3. 00.21 SOUNDBITE: (English) Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, attorney and founder of Shurat HaDin Israeli Law Centre:

"What we are asking FIFA to do is to expel this person (Jibril Rajoub, the head of the Palestine Football Association), because FIFA has regulations, they have statutes which prohibit discrimination, prohibit violence and therefore if they want to apply these rules, Jibril Rajoub should not be a representative who has access to FIFA."

4. 00.41 Darshan-Leitner working.

5. 00.47 SOUNDBITE: (English) Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, attorney and founder of Shurat HaDin Israeli Law Centre:

"Jibril Rajoub is a person that for many years incited to kill Israelis, that was involved with endorsing terrorist with calling to enticement against Israelis. He called (for) Jihad against Israelis, even said that the fight between Israel and the Palestinians have to be fought with all means, even if the Palestinians had nuclear weapon, they would have used it against Israel. He has been serving as a deputy secretary of the Fatah, which is a terror organisation, a terror organisation that was involved in the Munich Massacre in 1972, killed 11 Israelis, and since then have been involved with many other terror attacks, many Israelis got killed and injured. And he is the head of the Palestinian football authority which is a member in FIFA."

6. 01.42 End shot of Darshan-Leitner at office.

SOURCE: SNTV.

DURATION: 01:49.