BREAKING NEWS

Shapiro shoots hoops with Israeli, Palestinian kids

When US President Barack Obama selected Dan Shapiro to be US ambassador to Israel last year he had his diplomatic skills in mind. But did the basketball enthusiast also know his envoy holds his own on court?
Shapiro, who was captain of a basketball team in his youth, shot hoops with Israeli and Palestinian children at an event in Holon on Friday promoting coexistence. The gathering was organized by USAID, an NGO, the US embassy in Israel and PeacePlayers International, a group founded in 2001 which brings children from Israel and Palestine to play together.
ESPN.com senior writer Chad Ford, who was instrumental in developing PeacePlayers, visited the gathering. While it could not be confirmed whether Shapiro dunked or not, participants at the event said he seemed to have a good time.