DESPITE ongoing exchanges between warring factions in the Middle East, Jamaican striker Javon East says he feels “quite safe” and settled at top-tier Israeli club Hapoel Haifa FC, where he has been making headlines.

East, who joined the Israeli Premier League side in January from Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa, says his experience so far has been positive, even amid reports of deadly conflicts in some parts of Israel.

“Despite the things that I have heard about Israel I just risked the [chance] to come here and start to work, and everything is going good so far,” said East. “The coach has told me that I’m one of the most important players in the team. Life is good over here because this is one of the best cities they have in Israel and so everything is good over here.”

Haifa is located on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, about 56 miles north of the city of Tel Aviv which has seen an upsurge in violence in recent weeks.

The 30-year-old striker played an integral role in the club’s history last Saturday when he scored a hat-trick and provided an assist in a dominant 5-1 victory over city rivals Maccabi Haifa FC. It was Hapoel’s first win by such a wide margin in the city derby in 20 years.

“Things have been good over here, because I can’t complain. The performance of the team on Saturday was good, and my individual performance was also good too because it is a great feeling to score my first hat-trick in this competition for the club,” East said.

The derby hat-trick brought his tally to five goals in 11 appearances since joining the club, strong numbers for a player still adjusting to a new league and culture. But East insists there’s more to come.

“I will never stop scoring goals because this is my job, and once I am fit then you can always expect the best from me at all times. I always try to deliver for the team, whether it’s scoring a goal or assisting. I just try to work hard with the ball or without the ball,” he said.

East also praised the professional environment at Hapoel Haifa, and according to him, the facilities and the amenities are great.

“The stadium holds about 45,000 [people] — and this is a top-quality stadium and the facility is great over here,” he noted.

East, who made his international debut for the Reggae Boyz in 2018 and has 20 caps with two goals, added that he is hopeful his performances in Israel will earn him a recall to the national set-up.

“It is always a dream to represent my country, no matter what,” he said. “Hopefully, I will get the chance once again to play for my country. I don’t have the power to call myself, but they have the Unity Cup and World Cup Qualifiers coming up and I would love to get a recall for these matches.”

Despite global headlines surrounding security concerns in Israel, East is focused on success on the football field.

“Everything is good over here. My hard work paid off on Saturday, and this is only the beginning,” he reiterated.

– Robert Bailey