"There are jabs at the traffic light": The Eli Ohana you didn't know
The legendary footballer and commentator's name has been in the headlines for decades. The one "riding" on the success is a driving instructor who bears the same name. "Beitar fans connect with me" What does he think of the "original version" and what is the question everyone asks him?
"All my life they ask if I support Likud": The name Eli Ohana has been in the headlines in Israel for decades, but even more so recently with his media appearances and the possibility that he will be placed on the Likud party list.
Someone else who feels the impact is a man who has no connection to football, media, or politics, but bears the same name.
In an amusing conversation with "HaYom", driving instructor Eli Ohana says that although he did not choose the name himself ("they chose it for me"), he certainly enjoys the reactions. While no one really thinks the legendary footballer will pick him up from Ben Gurion Airport, this name is a magnet for Beitar Jerusalem fans who simply "connect with him".
The peak, it turns out, was during his army service. Eli recalls how officers and soldiers were simply "blown away" when they heard his name or saw a name tag with the inscription "Eli Ohana" on his uniform.
According to driving instructor Ohana, today it mainly boils down to "jabs" and jokes at traffic lights, but there is one question that haunts him everywhere: "All my life they ask me if I support Likud. Apparently, in Israel, if your name is Eli Ohana, the expectation is that you will arrive with a 'Mahal' ballot in your pocket," he says.
Although he has never met the "original" Ohana, the driver praises his famous colleague and notes that he is a "good guy".
