Why Israeli football?
The idea for IsraelStore started with AFC Ajax Amsterdam.
I have been an Ajax Amsterdam fan since I was nine years old. Whenever we played football with friends, I always claimed to be Patrick Kluivert. I grew up idolizing that legendary 90s squad: Kluivert, Winston Bogarde, Frank Rijkaard, Clarence Seedorf, and, of course, Jari Litmanen. As the years went on, my passion for the club only grew as we watched the next generation of shining stars take the pitch: Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, Luis Suárez, and Zlatan Ibrahimović.
But being an Ajax fan has always been about more than just the players on the pitch. I have always been interested in Amsterdam’s history, particularly the rich heritage of the Jewish community within the city. Ajax has also had a long association with Jewish Amsterdam, Ajax fans have proudly embraced the nickname "De Joden" (The Jews) or "Superjoden" (The Jews) as a nod to Amsterdam’s rich, historical Jewish roots.
Over time, what began as a curiosity about local Amsterdam history naturally moved beyond the city and evolved into a genuine appreciation for Israeli football itself.
That was the starting point of my interest in Israel. Over time, that interest moved beyond history and into the country itself, including its football.
I started looking more closely at Israeli football and the clubs, and found that there is a lot more to it than I had expected. Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa, Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Be'er Sheva all have their own identities, histories, rivalries and supporter cultures.
Seeing a talent like Oscar Gloukh eventually put on the Ajax shirt only solidified that natural, cross-border bond for me.
To us, a football kit is never just a piece of polyester. A club shirt says something about where you come from, whose colors you defend, and who you support. Sometimes, it is simply a reflection of what you find culturally interesting and different.
Israel is home to some of the most vibrant, intense, and distinctive football cultures in the world. Fierce derbies between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa to the traditions of Beitar Jerusalem every club carries its own complex story and loyal supporter base. And above it all sits the beautiful blue and white of the Israel national team.
At some point I realised there was a simple problem: if you're in Europe and want to buy an Israeli club shirt, it isn't particularly easy. You often have to order from Israel, deal with international shipping, translation, currencies and work out the rest yourself.
So I decided to build a store around it.
For now, the focus is simple: Israeli football shirts and merchandise, available to customers in Europe (and beyond) without the hassle of ordering from abroad.
We'll start with the clubs and the national team, and see where it goes from there.
IsraelStore