Of all places, the polite world of tennis got a disturbing look at real Jews during the recent Federation Cup matches between Israel and Russia. This competition pits the best women tennis players from each country against each other for national bragging rights and prestige. With a flood of powerful tennis players in the last several years, Russia now dominates women's tennis.

The competition was staged at a 6,000 seat outdoor arena in Israel. But the polite world tennis audience was not prepared for what they saw. In violation of all established tennis etiquite and civilized "western" decorum, the crowd of Jews engaged in behavior worse than any ever seen in a Davis Cup match between some bannana republic and the gringo US. Israeli Jews yelled and jeered during play just as Russian players prepared to strike the ball in an effort to provoke an error and win the point for the Israeli player. While it is typical for fans to cheer for their nation's players between points, a hush usually descends over the most nationalist crowds just before each point begins. This is standard behavior throughout Europe, Britain, Australia and the US and is generally adhered to even in South America.

But as we know, standard international rules don't apply to Israel and Israelis. The TV commentators were clearly dumbfounded at the primitive tribal behavior of the Israelis and their total lack of respect for the visiting Russian team, as well as their total disregard for fair play and good sportsmanship.

What the world saw was Israeli Jews as they really are -- alive, up close and uncensored. And it was a pretty ugly sight!

Israeli officials are scrambling to repair the damage to Israel's international image before the nations of the developed world. But the damage has been done.

The challenge now is to control the Israeli crowd during their Davis Cup match this coming weekend against Sweden and not further reveal the true character of Israeli Jews. This will be a challenge, since the Fed Cup event seemed to attract all sorts of the most zealous Zionists.

The following article appeared recently in ESPN sports news:

TEL AVIV -- Israel's most senior sports administrator criticized Shahar Peer of "unsporting conduct" for encouraging the crowd to put off opponents during last weekend's Fed Cup tie against Russia.

International Olympic Committee member Alex Gilady said Israel's top player and world No. 17 Peer had incited the partisan home crowd to try to distract the opposition.

"The crowd behaved this way because it was incited ... by Shahar Peer. I think this was unsporting conduct," Gilady said.

Fed Cup holders Russia won the tie 4-1, but some spectators in the capacity crowd of over 5,000 tried to unsettle the Russian trio of Maria Sharapova, Dinara Safina and Anna Chakvetadze.

Gilady said the crowd, some of whom had mimicked Australian Open champion Sharapova's grunting sounds as she hit the ball when she played Tzipi Obziler, had portrayed a "primitive" image of the country.

Gilady told Reuters he had sent a letter of apology for the crowd's behavior to Russian Fed Cup captain Shamil Tarpishchev, who is also an IOC member.

The Israel Tennis Association said in a statement that it did not accept Gilady's criticism of Peer, although it asked spectators to behave in an acceptable manner.

"The Israel Tennis Association rejects Alex Gilady's attack on Israeli No. 1 Shahar Peer, who has shown has sporting abilities and will continue to lead the Fed Cup team in future ... the association calls on the spectators to show restraint and respect the rules," the statement read.

Israel hosts Sweden in a Davis Cup tie at the same venue near Tel Aviv this weekend.

Doubles player Jonathan Erlich said he did not expect a repeat performance.

"The crowd that came last weekend and those who will be here next weekend I think will be quite different. Next week the real tennis crowd will come," Erlich told reporters on Tuesday.

Erlich, who won the Australian Open doubles title with Andy Ram last month, said the crowd had "transgressed the rules a bit and upset us all."

A Google search on this topic will reveal more interesting info about how the Jews have allowed the mask to drop from their faces before a world audience.