It is only an argument for sanctions against Israel that the Palestinian sport, like here with volleyball in the Gaza Strip.
Photo: Imago/Fadel MGharmax
In January 2024, the Ice Hockey Association concluded the Israeli national teams from its competitions. After criticism from sport and politics, he took back this decision. In September 2024, the Norwegian footballer Ole Saeter rejected a move to Maccabi Haifa. In an interview, he said: “It was an offer that would have made me financially independent. But I don’t want blood money. It is a country that I don’t want to represent. “
A few days ago, the mayor of Udine, Alberto Felice de Toni, called for the relocation of the World Cup qualification game between Italy and Israel, which is scheduled to kick off in the Eastitalian city on October 14th. He thinks the “execution of the game in view of the immeasurable suffering and a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is inappropriate”. According to the Italian Ministry of the Interior, the football game should continue to take place in Udine, the mayor apparently expects protests against Israel.
In the first few months after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 and the military reaction of Israel, sports organizations from the Middle East in particular had called for Israel exclusion. In the meantime, more than 62,000 people have been killed in Gaza, the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And so boycott demands are now being performed as loudly in European democracies as ever before.
So the question arises: should you blame the sport in Israel for government and army? “The athletes have nothing to do with war crimes,” says Susan Shalabi, Vice President of the Palestinian Football Association. “But the Israeli government uses sport for its messages. And some athletes and clubs are happy to be relaxed. ”For example, the right -wing extremist Security Minister Itamar Ben Gwir, who is no longer allowed to enter seven western states because of his racist and violent statements. Ben-Gwir is often a guest of honor in the fan curve of the Beitar Jerusalem football club. His ultras like to sing: “We hate all Arabs”. And: “The Israeli army has to win.” Some fans were used as soldiers in Gaza. They posed with club flags in front of the ruins in Gaza. The club did not expressly distance itself.
Some Israeli footballers also chose drastic words. The national player Shon Weissman shared articles on social media that demanded Gaza’s destruction. Fortuna Düsseldorf therefore decided not to know about Weißman’s commitment. Menashe Zalka, captain of the first division club Hapoel Hadera, voluntarily went to war as a soldier and was later celebrated frenetically in the stadiums. The former national goalkeeper Dudu Aouate insulted people on social media who would like an end to war.
“Football illustrates the charged mood in Israel,” says Matan Segal, director of the Israeli anti-racism initiative “Kick it out”. Last season, his network in the Israeli league documented 367 racist chants and calls in the stadiums – an increase of almost two thirds. “Again and again Palestinian war victims are also mocked.” However, serious punishments rarely impose the Israeli football association.
“Palestinian war victims are repeatedly mocked.”
Matan Segal
Antirassism-initiative »Kick it out«
But are these sufficient arguments for international sanctions against Israeli sport? FIFA, for example, has temporarily suspended several national football associations since 2020, for example that from Pakistan, Kenya or Chad. The reasoning mostly said that local politics had interfered in the association matters inadmissible.
Wars or regional conflicts rarely play a role in reasons for sanctions. That was different after the beginning of the Russian attack war in Ukraine 2022. The International Olympic Committee suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) by referring to the violation of the “territorial integrity” of another state. Because the ROC had bound the sports administrations in the occupied areas, Russia’s football association integrated Ukrainian clubs in Russian leagues.
On this point, Russia and Israel can be put on one level, says Susan Shalabi from the Palestinian Football Association: “Because the Israeli government also underpins its territorial claim with the help of sports.” In the settlements in the West Bank, which the International Court of Justice and the United Nations classify as international rights, several Israeli clubs have been from football for years, Basketball or Netball native. With the help of historical aerial photographs, Human Rights Watch stated that a number of sports fields and club homes were built on expropriated land by Palestinians.
In the statutes of the World Association, Article 3 states: “FIFA undertakes to pay attention to all internationally recognized human rights and to stand up for the protection of these rights.” And in Article 72: “Member Associations and their clubs must not play without the consent of the other member association in its field.” The six clubs in the settlements belong to the Israeli association – and thus to FIFA. So does this indirectly support the settlement policy that is contrary to international law?
In the past ten years, FIFA has taken up the topic from time to time. In 2017 she threatened the Israeli Football Association with sanctions, but the debate subsided. Since October 7, FIFA has repeatedly missed a decision on the exclusion claims against Israel. Both FIFA and UEFA left an inquiry for this article unanswered. Israel’s association reacted with a written statement. It says: “The Israeli Football Association works according to all FIFA rules and nothing else has been found.”
In the meantime, more than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied areas. According to the United Nations, around 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the war. “There is no way of thinking about normal football,” says Shalabi. “Our players are afraid of attacks and are held for hours at control points.” Several international players have been abroad for months to avoid possible travel restrictions.
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This Friday, Israel’s footballers will play in the World Cup qualification against Moldova, on Monday against Italy. Again, activists, athletes and politicians will also renew their boycotal calls against Israeli sport in Europe. Alon Meyer, President of the Jewish Sports Association Makkabi in Germany, says critically: “Such calls also reinforce the anti -Jewish mood in Germany.” Athletes from Makkabi are also accepted in Germany, France or Great Britain for Israeli politics, the number of anti -Semitic abuse increases everywhere. “Boycott calls against sport also meet those in Israel who stand up against war and settlement policy,” said Meyer.
Measured by the population, as many people in Israel demonstrate against the government as in no other country. An end of the war is not in sight. Benjamin Netanyahu recently expressed sympathy for a “large-Israel” and thus indirectly for the expulsion of the Palestinians. How should international sport react to it? An idea comes from Norway, where Israel’s footballers will be guests in the World Cup qualification in October. The Norwegian association does not want to boycott the game, but donate the income to organizations that are involved in Gaza.
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