A Jerusalem group is bringing Jews and Arabs together and helping them to get to know each other through backgammon tournaments, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

The group Double Yerushalmi aims to strengthen ties between ethnic groups via the popular board game, as well as other cultural activities like singing and dancing.

“You want to win, but it’s friendly too,” said Karem Joubran, a 27-year-old from the Palestinian neighborhood of Shuafat in northern Jerusalem. “It’s good, it brings people together.” Joubran said that he usually speaks in Hebrew to his Jewish opponents, though he sometimes chats with Jews who speak passable Arabic.

Zaki Djemal, one of the group’s organizers and a descendant of Syrian Jews, said that the goal was “to create some crossover between neighborhoods” that don’t normally interact. Djemal expressed hope that his enterprise could lead to a Mediterranean championship later this year, which would include players from Europe, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan.

Binny Zupnick, an American-born Israeli in his early 20s, said that backgammon give the players uncontroversial common ground that allows them to get to know each other better. The game “is a simple way to break down barriers,” he said. “It’s important to do these things from the ground up.”

Agence France-Presse made a video report about Double Yerushalmi’s backgammon tournaments last year.

[Photo: AFP News Agency / YouTube ]