Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Must Demonstrate a Commitment to Universal Human Rights by Banning the United States and Israel from Hosting or Participating in International Sporting Events

The United States has become dangerous for members of the global community, and specifically for non-white/non-European people. The world is witnessing massive violations of human rights and the Constitution of the United States as masked agents using unmarked vehicles raid work places, homes, and places of public assembly to incarcerate and disappear Black, Brown, and Indigenous people and, in too many cases, denying them legal representation and basic information as to their whereabouts and wellbeing to their families and attorneys.

Under the current U.S administration anyone suspected of residing in and/or visiting the United States with or without “proper” documentation, including U.S. citizens, are being harassed, questioned about their political beliefs and even detained without due process. This repressive environment has created a sense of insecurity and anxiety for travelers to the U.S. including students, and even some diplomats of “foreign nations.” Even individuals while in transit to other countries have been subjected to harassment and intimidation.

But this is just part of the story.

The State of Israel, with direct assistance from the United States, is committing gross and profound violations of human rights and international law through military adventures, and carrying out an ongoing genocide in addition to other war crimes including, but not limited to collective punishment and starvation. This is on top of Israel’s eight decade pogrom of apartheid against the Palestinian people, as well as a perpetual disregard for the sovereignty and self determination of the Lebanese, Yemeni, Syrian, and Iranian people and their respective governments and bodies of leadership. The global community, everyday, witnesses Israel’s wanton slaughter of people and pillage of lives with the full endorsement of the United States which continues to fund, arm, and promote Israel’s tactics of terror and barbarity.

Both FIFA and the IOC have previously denied the hosting of, and participation in international events for nations and governments who have acted in ways they deem antithetical to their stated core values of human rights, anti-discrimination and global sustainability. For instance, both IOC and FIFA banned Germany and Japan from international competition following the second world war. Additionally, IOC banned the Republic of South Africa from participating in the Olympic Games from 1964 to 1992 due to the nation’s racist system of apartheid, and FIFA banned the nation from participating in its matches between 1961 and 1992 for the same reason. And, more recently, the IOC has instituted a standing ban on the Russian Federation from participating in its summer and winter games due to what is deemed an illegal invasion and occupation of Ukraine.

This raises the question as to why FIFA and IOC are affording the United States and the State of Israel with preferential treatment over other nations who have been and are currently sanctioned and banned from competition and the hosting of international sporting events for violations of the core values of both bodies.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, as members of the global community and people/institutions of conscience demand that FIFA and IOC withdraw the United States and the State of Israel from hosting or participating in international competition events until such time that both nations demonstrate a willingness to adhere to each agency’s core values and further operate in ways that adhere to international law and human rights.

No sports-washing genocide, war crimes and apartheid.
Call on FIFA and IOC to ban USA and Israel

La Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) et le Comité International Olympique (CIO) doivent manifester leur engagement en faveur des droits humains universels en excluant les États-Unis et Israël de l’organisation et de la participation à des manifestations sportives internationales

Les États-Unis sont devenus une menace pour les membres de la communauté internationale, en particulier pour les personnes non blanches/non européennes. Le monde assiste à des violations massives des droits humains et de l’état de droit ancré dans la constitution des États-unis : alors que des agents masqués à bord de véhicules banalisés font irruption sur les lieux de travail, les domiciles et les lieux publics pour arrêter et faire disparaître des personnes noires, racisées et autochtones, refusant dans de trop nombreux cas à leurs familles et à leurs avocats l’accès à un·e représentant·e légal et à des informations élémentaires quant à leur sort et leur état de santé.

Sous l’administration États-Uniennes actuelle, toute personne soupçonnée de résider ou de séjourner aux États-Unis avec ou sans papiers en règle, y compris des citoyen·nes états-unien·nes légalement documenté·es, est harcelée, interrogée sur ses opinions politiques et même détenue sans procédure légale. Ce climat répressif a créé un sentiment d’insécurité et d’anxiété chez des personnes voyageant aux États-Unis, y compris les étudiant·es, et même chez certain·es diplomates de nations étrangères. Même des personnes en transit vers d’autres pays ont été victimes de harcèlement et d’intimidation.

Mais ce n’est qu’une partie de l’histoire.

L’État d’Israël, avec l’aide directe des États-Unis, commet des violations flagrantes et sévères des droits humains et du droit international à travers ses opérations militaires, et perpétue un génocide en plus de mener d’autres crimes de guerre, incluant, mais sans s’y limiter, des punitions collectives et l’utilisation de la famine comme une arme de guerre. Ce n’est que le point d’orgue des huit décennies d’apartheid perpétré par Israël contre le peuple palestinien, ainsi que de son mépris perpétuel pour la souveraineté et l’autodétermination des peuples libanais, yéménite, syrien et iranien et de leurs gouvernements et dirigeants respectifs. La communauté internationale est chaque jour témoin du massacre arbitraire de civils et du saccage de vies humaines par Israël, avec le soutien total des États-Unis, qui continuent de financer, d’armer et de promouvoir les tactiques terroristes et barbares d’Israël.

Tant la FIFA que le CIO ont par le passé refusé d’accueillir ou de participer à des événements internationaux organisés par des nations ou des gouvernements ayant agi d’une manière jugée contraire aux valeurs fondamentales défendues par ces organisations, à savoir les droits humains, la lutte contre la discrimination et la durabilité à l’échelle mondiale. Par exemple, tant le CIO que la FIFA ont interdit à l’Allemagne et au Japon de participer à des compétitions internationales après la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Ailleurs, le CIO a interdit à la République d’Afrique du Sud de participer aux Jeux olympiques entre 1964 et 1992 en raison du système raciste d’apartheid en vigueur dans ce pays. De son côté, la FIFA a interdit à ce pays de participer à ses matchs entre 1961 et 1992 pour la même raison. Plus récemment, le CIO a interdit à la Fédération de Russie de participer à ses jeux d’été et d’hiver en raison de ce qu’elle considère être une invasion et une occupation illégales de l’Ukraine.

Cela soulève la question suivante : pourquoi la FIFA et le CIO accordent-ils un traitement préférentiel aux États-Unis et à l’État d’Israël, alors que d’autres nations ont été ou sont actuellement sanctionnées et interdites de compétition et d’organisation d’événements sportifs internationaux pour avoir violé les valeurs fondamentales de ces deux instances ?

Par conséquent, nous, soussigné·es, en tant que membres de la communauté mondiale et personnes/institutions de conscience, exigeons que la FIFA et le CIO excluent les États-Unis et l’État d’Israël de l’organisation ou de la participation à des compétitions internationales jusqu’à ce que ces deux nations démontrent leur volonté d’adhérer aux valeurs fondamentales de chaque agence et d’agir de manière conforme au droit international et aux droits humains.

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Momentum is building with support for wearing Palestine arm bands among Arab teams—ask the AFC and its members to support this.

Keffiyehs and Palestine flags in the stadiums and on the streets show the strong support for ending the double standards for the Palestinian Football Association.

We have written to AFC telling them now is the time that the AFC hold FIFA and the UEFA accountable to suspend the Israeli Football Association its violations of the FIFA and UEFA statues.

President Al Khalifa as a FIFA Senior Vice-President needs to speak out and act with integrity. All members of the AFC need to insist President Al Khalifa acts.

Take one-minute to write to the AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John, and Asian Football Associations that you call on them to stand with Palestine.

Write your own letter

For many years, the Israeli Football Association has been in serious breach of FIFA’s own statutes as they relate to human rights, anti-discrimination, and equality for the promotion of football in a globally accessible and unifying manner.

FIFA has failed repeatedly for many years to address the Palestinian Football Association’s (PFA) documented complaints.

The Count Down is On. It is now the time for the AFC to take the lead given the Palestinian Football Association (FPA) is one of its members.

IFA was kicked out of AFC for its violations related to human rights, anti-discrimination, and inequality, and still the UEFA and FIFA has tolerated these violations for three decades.

This situation warrants the severest sanctions against IFA now. IFA did not learn the lesson because it feels it’s above the law and therefore is emboldened to continue its racism and breach of the rules with impunity. Allowing IFA to sport wash an apartheid state is a stain and embarrassment to all who care about the sport of football.

Initiating organizations

Canadian BDS Coalition

Just Peace Advocates

Friends of Sabeel North America

Palestine House (Palestinian Canadian Community Centre)

#KickOutApartheid

We finally can share with you this amazing news: our campaign has reached its goal, The Uruguayan national football team will not do its final preparation for the World Cup in Israel.

The AUF made its own official, public announcement, so there is no chance that the decision is changed, and Israel has been definitely discarded.

From Coordinación por Palestina team

Thank you deeply for all your contributions and devoted work and support to raise the scope and the projection of this campaign. Another BDS victory. Justice, Freedom and Equality for Palestinian people will prevail!

COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE “URUGUAY, DON’T GO!” CAMPAIGN:

URUGUAY IS NOT GOING TO ISRAEL!

In view of the official and public confirmation in the media that Uruguay will carry out the final preparation for the 2022 World Cup in Abu Dhabi, we celebrate the news:

URUGUAY IS NOT GOING!

As we said when we launched the campaign, we do not want the celeste T-shirt to be used to whitewash Israeli apartheid or to cover up its serious violations of human and collective rights of the Palestinian people.

We based our statement on the letter we delivered on June 3 at the AUF (Uruguay’s Football Association) headquarters, with the signature of more than 20 social, human rights and football-related organizations in our country.

In these months, the AUF received four letters from Palestinian football clubs and associations explaining the continuous and serious aggressions that Israel commits against Palestinian footballl and sports, plus countless messages from organizations around the world asking the national team not to lend itself to whitewash Israel’s crimes through football.

The many messages sent to the AUF include: from a former coach of the Palestinian national football team, from musician Roger Waters, from Jewish anti-Zionist groups in several countries, from religious institutions, from human rights organizations and solidarity groups from five continents, and from Palestine, Israel, South Africa, India, Canada, USA, Europe, Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Turkey, and across our own region. We are deeply grateful for all the solidarity and support received from so many territories and people!

We hope that these messages have been read and heard by the national team players and the AUF leadership; and we are hopeful that they will be taken into account in the future. Because as we said from day one: you cannot paly with apartheid.

For a FREE PALESTINE, URUGUAY DOES NOT GO!

Coordinación por Palestina

Montevideo, October 12, 2022

During the Just Peace Advocates with Friends of Sabeel North America May 28 launch of “FIFA Suspend Israeli Apartheid” Roger Waters told the Uruguay Team – don’t do it. Don’t train or play any matches in Israel.

30+ organizations from around the world–US, Canada, Europe, UK, Africa, Palestine and elsewhere say “Uruguay Don’t Go”

On May 30, 2022, solidarity groups in Uruguay launched the campaign URUGUAY, NO VAYAS!  (URUGUAY, DON’T GO!) to ask the AUF (Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol — AUF, or Uruguayan Football Association)and the Uruguay men’s soccer team to NOT to accept the invitation from the State of Israel to carry out the final phase of preparation for the World Cup in that country and/or play a friendly match, on the way to Qatar.

On May 30, 2022, during the webinar “FIFA Suspend Israeli Apartheid”

Roger Waters told the Uruguay Team – don’t do it. Don’t train or play any matches in Israel.

On June 2, 2022, a letter signed by the main social organizations in Uruguay was delivered to the AUF headquarters.

On Friday, July 22, civil society in Uruguay went again to AUF headquarters to demand a response to their request for an interview about the plans of the national team regarding Israel. The sports media had already said that the friendly match with Israel’s team had been abandoned but had said nothing about whether they would be in Israel for the last week of training for the World Cup, on their way to Qatar.

After insisting, the Uruguay campaign organizers received a response from the AUF, informing that “no pre-World Cup activity is planned in Israel.” This response was welcomed but left ambiguity, because several weeks before the AUF President Ignacio Alonso said on TV that “this week” they would decide in which place the national team will do the last week of preparations and added that “likely it will be Abu Dhabi”. But still close to a month later, this has not been confirmed nor announced.

The Message:

Israel is an apartheid state. In this last year, the main Israeli and international human rights organizations have agreed: B’Tselem, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, as well as the outgoing UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Palestinian Territory,
Michael Lynk. Palestinian organizations have been denouncing Israeli apartheid for decades.

And you don’t play with apartheid. 

When South Africa lived under an apartheid regime, there was a powerful international campaign to sanction and isolate that country; and sport played a key role in that campaign.

Thus, that is why the Uruguay organizations are saying “we do not want our national team to stain the beloved light blue shirt by becoming an accomplice of apartheid. The invitations that Israel extends to play friendly matches or do training sessions in its territory are part of a campaign to whitewash its international image – increasingly deteriorated – and hide the crimes it commits daily against the Palestinian people, against its soccer players and athletes.”

Palestinian players are constantly attacked, killed, injured, mutilated, repressed, imprisoned by the Israeli colonial occupation. Their stadiums are bombed. Their freedom of movement is constantly violated so that they cannot assemble the national team (divided between Gaza and the West Bank), nor train, nor go abroad to participate in international competitions. Recently, Israeli forces have killed three teenage soccer players in the West Bank: Mohammad Ghneim (19), Saeed Odeh (16) and Thaer Yazouri (18). Who does not remember the four children killed by an Israeli missile   while playing soccer on the beach in Gaza? 

In addition, the Israeli Football Association (AFI) includes football clubs from illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, on land stolen from Palestinian communities. All Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory are illegal according to the UN and international humanitarian law (Fourth Geneva Convention and Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court), which prohibits the transfer of the occupying population to the occupied territory, for which they constitute a war crime.

For all these reasons, today we grassroots, civil society, NGOs, faith groups, and others organizations from the international community say to the AUF and the Uruguayan team: listen to the call of your Palestinian colleagues, the Palestinian people and their athletes, and those in Uruguay and elsewhere in the world wo have said: Do not throw overboard the prestige of the Uruguay national team, and do not stain the sky by collaborating to cover up the crimes of Israeli apartheid. 

As organizations who respect the human rights of all, we publicly express our adherence to the campaign URUGUAY, NO VAYAS!  (URUGUAY, DON’T GO!)

The following organizations have signed:

Africa4Palestine
Al-Haadi Musalla
Al-Quds Committee Toronto
Arab Cause Solidarity Committee CSCA
Australian Palestinian Professionals Association
Australians For Palestine
Baltimore Nonviolence Center
BDS Vancouver Coast Salish Territories
Canadian BDS Coalition
Disciples Palestine-Israel Network (US & Canada)
Early Childhood Intercultural Partnerships, Victoria, British Columbia
Free Gaza Australia
Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)
Good Shepherd Collective, Palestine
Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War, Canada
Human Rights for All (HR4A) Saskatchewan
Indiana Center for Middle East Peace
Israel Palestine TaskForce California Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church
Jewish Network for Palestine, UK
Jews for Palestinian Right of Return, US
Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste (Canada)
Justice for Palestinians Calgary
Kia Ora Gaza (Aotearoa/NZ)
Labor for Palestine, US
Let Kashmir Decide
Mavi Marmara Freedom and Solidarity Association, Türkiye
Mennonite Palestine Israel Network (MennoPIN)
Oakville Palestinian Rights Association
Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU), Montreal
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
SELFOP, UK
The Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church USA
The Students for Justice in Palestine at Rutgers – New Brunswick, New Jersey
United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR)
US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel

Organizations can endorse HERE.

Take one minute to write to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin concerning the double standard taken by UEFA in regard to Russia and Israel.

On Friday, July 15th the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld those decisions by UEFA and FIFA which exclude Russian national teams and clubs.

It is clear that when the UEFA wants to take action to exclude a country and its players, it can act swiftly to do so. Hours after the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, the UEFA almost immediately acted to exclude Russian teams, followed quickly by FIFA. These measures mirrored the official actions of various European Union governments. In regard to Russia, the UEFA initiated action within hours following Russian forces moving into the Ukraine, and FIFA quickly followed.

At the same time, for many years, the IFA has been in serious breach of FIFA’s own statutes as they relate to human rights, anti-discrimination, and equality for the promotion of football in a globally accessible and unifying manner. This shows that UEFA and FIFA have a double standard: when they want to act due to their own political considerations, and when they do not want to act.

FIFA has failed repeatedly for many years to address the Palestinian Football Association’s (PFA) documented complaints.

What took hours and days in the case of Russia, lingers after decades without action in regard to justice for Palestinian football.

We look to the UEFA to act swiftly to put an end to these ongoing violations against Palestinian football and to kick out apartheid football. We will not accept double standards. UEFA and FIFA must end their complicity with apartheid, especially given IFA is one of UEFA’s members.

The State of Israel’s brutal occupation makes the realization of the stated objectives of the UEFA and FIFA impossible, as Israel continues to systematically practice ethnic cleansing and segregation against more than five million Palestinians suffering under its military occupation.

On September 9, 2016, members of European Parliament called on FIFA to hold IFA accountable.

Why the double standards? Why the hypocrisy? Why the lack of accountability in regard to Israel?

Sports Washing Underway Leading up to the World Cup

Beyond the regular games, teams in France, Italy, the UK, Spain and other member associations of the UEFA continue to accept sports washing invitations by Israel.

These include

·     the Tournament of Champions where Paris Saint-Germain, champion of France 2022, and FC Nantes, winner of the Coupe de France 2022, is scheduled for Sunday July 31, at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv

·     the July 30 invitation where Tottenham Hotspur and AS Roma have accepted to play at Sami Ofer Stadium in Haifa, and

·     Juventus – Atletico Madrid on 7th August at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, Israel

These are certainly not “friendly” matches. Instead, these matches show the outright hypocrisy of the UEFA and its member associations in regard to the flagrant disregard for FIFA’s own statues and the UEFA’s disregard for the very same rules that it claims to have hastily applied against Russia.

Football clubs within Palestine and around the world, supporter/fan clubs in Europe and elsewhere, and civil society and human rights groups around the world have spoken out against theseis flagrant double standards and ignoring of sports-washing of human rights violations, international law and racism.

Indication that any issues related to the FIFA and UEFA stance that the Israeli Football Association’s (IFA) behaviour is political, if ever valid, was negated when FIFA and the UEFA on February 28, 2022 suspended Russia from international competition. This double standard reeks of hypocrisy.

In french

FIFA has to date not responded. We hope for more from the UEFA, the confederation in which the IFA plays.

We call on the UEFA to invoke the responsibilities and provisions within the UEFA Statutes to hold the Israeli Football Association (IFA) accountable by implementing sanctions against the IFA, and that you insist that FIFA follow your lead.

Sports and other Organizations can join the campaign https://bit.ly/ApartheidFreeFIFAOrgs

Athletes and other individuals can join the campaign: https://bit.ly/ApartheidFreeFIFAIndiv

UEFA Kick Out Apartheid initiated by:

Friends of Sabeel North America

Just Peace Advocates

Canadian BDS Coalition

Palestine and Jewish Unity

Samidoun

Comité de Solidaridad con la Causa Árabe

Collectif Palestine Vaincra

Samidoun Région Parisienne

Firma la Iniciativa Ciudadana Europea de prohibir el comercio entre la UE y asentamientos de los Territorios Ocupados

Kick Out Apartheid. See list of sponsoring organizations

Watch webinar and learn more about FIFA Kick Out Apartheid

#UEFAKickOutApartheid

#FIFAKickOutApartheid

The following letter was sent to the UEFA (Download letter)

The LFP, which operates under the French Football Federation, has taken on the responsibility of organizing the final match of the Champions Trophy between PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) and FC Nantes on 31 July, 2022, in an Israeli stadium. This is the second consecutive year that the Champions Trophy will be held in Tel Aviv.

This sporting investment in Israeli occupation benefits the occupier at the same time that it is accelerating its policies of terror, colonization, racism and apartheid against the Palestinian people. The Zionist state views Palestinians as a “demographic threat” and systematically aims to dehumanize the Palestinian people. It is responsible for forced displacement, mass incarceration without charge or trial, legal, spatial and economic segregation, land confiscation, as well as acts of torture, assassination and killing against the Palestinian people.

If Israel intends to cover up this reality by exploiting high-level sport, the LFP will not be allowed to ignore it. As the LFP’s board of directors gathered, activists “awarded” the LFP with the “trophy for the best accomplice of apartheid,” symbolized by a cup dripping with red paint.

The activists requested a meeting with Mr. Vincent Labrune, the president of the LFP, but were denied. Nevertheless, the head of human resources at the LFP came to meet them, and they delivered the petition denouncing the holding of the Champions Trophy in Tel Aviv signed by more than 80 organizations. The “bloody” cup was placed on the reception desk of the LFP.

Demonstrators also unfurled a banner in front of the LFP headquarters and chanted various slogans denouncing the LFP’s complicity with Zionism, apartheid and colonialism. They called for a boycott of Israel in support of the Palestinian people and urged the two competing clubs, PSG and FC Nantes, to withdraw from the field of Israeli sportswashing.

A change of location would allow the LFP to align itself with the social responsibility it purports to advance. If the LFP claims to reject hatred, racism and discrimination in the stadium, consistency would dictate that it, therefore, must not host tournaments in the stadiums of a state committing apartheid, a crime based in racial discrimination and a recognized crime against humanity.

Sports associations, human rights organizations and other supporting groups can sign the petition to the LFP at this address:
https://nonautropheedeschampionsatelaviv.fr/

In a statement, the Gaza Democratic Sports Forum “condemns and deplores the decision of the French Football Association to organize the final of the Champions Cup on Palestinian land occupied by the Zionist entity… The Democratic Sports Forum calls on all sports federations to fight this decision and to send a message to Arab and international clubs to take a stand against the holding of this event on Palestinian land… France, which claims to brandish the slogans of freedom and human rights, must not engage in such behaviour which only encourages the occupation in its increasing brutality and oppression against our people.”

During a football match between the Nuseirat Club and Al-Jalaa Club on 19 July in the Gaza Strip, both teams held banners against the Champions Trophy in Tel Aviv. They emphasized that Palestinian lives and futures in sports are being constantly hampered and suppressed by the occupation supported by the French Football Federation. Palestinian football players in Gaza cannot travel to matches, while local clubs struggle to survive due to the economic situation caused by the illegal blockade that has persisted for over 15 years. In addition, many Palestinian athletes are injured or killed in Israeli occupation attacks, while other promising athletes are imprisoned and detained, like professional footballer Mahmoud Sarsak, imprisoned and then released in 2012 following a lengthy hunger strike.

More than ever, we strongly condemn the holding of the Champions Trophy in Tel Aviv and pledge to develop the boycott of Israel in all areas against colonialism, racism and apartheid. 

Source: Collectif Palestine Vaincra

This year, once again, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP, Professional french Football League) has decided to hold the next edition of the Champions Trophy (French Super cup) in Israel.  This official match between Paris Saint-Germain, the 2022 champion of France, and FC Nantes, winner of the 2022 French Cup, is to be held on Sunday 31 July at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv. ¹

Like the previous edition, the LFP is organising this event together with the Israeli-Canadian businessman Sylvan Adams, “self-proclaimed ambassador of the State of Israel” ² and Comtec Group, the Israeli firm specialising in events organisation, which has among its clients the Israeli government and companies based in illegal colonies in the occupied West Bank.³  For several years, Sylvan Adams has become involved in high-level sports in order to change and improve Israel’s image.⁴

We are strongly opposed to the holding of this match in Israel. This is a sportwashing event, aiming to whitewash the military occupation, the colonisation, the apartheid system of the Israeli State and its crimes.

Since the start of 2022, the Israeli occupation forces have killed almost 60 Palestinians.⁵ Among those victims were two journalists — Shireen Abu Akleh, the star reporter of Aljazeera, and Ghufran Warasneh – as well as 16 teenagers, including two young footballers: Mohammad Ghneim and Thaer Yazouri.

At the same time, the Israeli colonisation goes on apace.  The imprisonments, the threats of imminent expulsion, and the attacks carried out by the settlers, have all intensified.

The Supreme Court of Israel has ruled that almost 1,000 Palestinians can be forced out of their villages in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, so that their lands be transformed into a new military training zone, whereas the government approves a plan to build 4,500 homes in the illegal colonies.⁶

Israel continues to detain 4,450 Palestinian prisoners, including 160 children.  600 are in ‘administrative detention’, with neither charges nor judgement, like the Franco-Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri, held arbitrarily since March 2022.  Since the start of this year, the occupation forces have arrested over 2,140 Palestinians, mainly in occupied Jerusalem and in Jenin.⁷

Israeli settlers, protected by the soldiers, have carried out 133 attacks on Palestinians and their properties in the occupied West Bank.⁵

One year after the last murderous attack by the Israeli army on the Gaza strip, nothing has actually changed.  The territory is still under an illegal blockade.  Few buildings have been reconstructed.  Gaza remains an open-air prison, and still comes under regular Israeli bombardment. Thousands of children in Gaza suffer from mental trauma.⁸

The right of return of millions of refugees, adopted by the UN, is still not respected by the State of Israel, which keeps in conditions of misery the inhabitants of the refugee camps, be they in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, etc., and which represses their resistance in the occupied territories, as seen recently in Jenin and in Hebron.

These dramas take place in line with several decades of colonial and apartheid policies against the Palestinian people.⁹  To play this match in Tel Aviv would help to mask these realities.

We refuse to see French football and these two teams become complicit in the Israeli violations of international law and of Palestinians’ human rights.

The LFP recently took a strong position by withdrawing from Russia  the rights to broadcast the Ligue 1, in order to punish its invasion and war of aggression in Ukraine. ¹⁰

We urge Mr Vincent Labrune, LFP President, Mr Waldemar Kita, owner and President of Nantes FC and Mr Nasser  Al-Khelaïfi, President-Director General of Paris Saint-Germain, to relocate this event to France or to move it to another country.

We call upon the players and staff members to join us by supporting our request.

Signatories

Football clubs and sports associations

Football du Peuple. Montpellier

Les Débuteuses

Ménilmontant Football Club 1871

Spartak Lillois

Football Populaire de Caen

Supporters’ groups

Paris Saint-Germain Fan Club – Malaysia

Associations and organisations

Football 4 Palestine

Collectif Boycott Apartheid Israël – Paris Banlieue

Jeunes pour la Palestine – Nantes

Collectif Boycott Désinvestissement Sanctions 45

Collectif Boycott Désinvestissement Sanctions 57

Orléans Loiret Palestine

Association France Palestine Solidarité

Association France Palestine Solidarité – Albertville

Association France Palestine Solidarité – Paris Sud

Association France Palestine Solidarité – Nîmes

Association France Palestine Solidarité 63

Association France Palestine Solidarité – Gentilly

Association France Palestine Solidarité 44

Association France Palestine Solidarité – Chambéry

Association France Palestine Solidarité – Paris 14-6

Association France Palestine Solidarité 59/62

Comité France Palestine de Rueil et Suresnes

Collectif Ivryens Pour la Palestine

Association des Palestiniens en France-Aljaliya – Union des associations palestiniennes en France

Forum Palestine Citoyenneté

Collectif Palestine Vaincra

Samidoun Région Parisienne

Mouvement pour une Alternative Non-violente

Mouvement pour une Alternative Non-violente Orléans

Parti communiste des ouvriers de France

Campagne Unitaire pour la Libération de Georges Abdallah

Union Juive Française pour la Paix

Nantes Révoltée

Organisation de Femmes Egalité

Collectif Marseille Gaza Palestine

Collectif Solidarité Palestine Ouest Étang de Berre

Islam & Info

Perspectives Musulmanes

Association des Universitaires pour le Respect du Droit International en Palestine

Les Amis du Théâtre de la Liberté de Jénine

Association Médicale Franco-Palestinienne d’Aubagne

Union syndicale Solidaires

Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste

Rete dei Comunisti

Front Uni des Immigrations et des Quartiers Populaires – Paris Banlieue

Action Antifasciste Paris-Banlieue

Section du Parti Communiste Français de Rueil-Malmaison et de Garches

Union Nationale des Étudiants de France – Auvergne

Football clubs, sports associations, supporters groups, human rights organizations etc can sign this text by sending an e-mail to signature@nonautropheedeschampionsatelaviv.fr

References

¹ LFP – 17 Mars 2022
https://www.lfp.fr/Articles/Communiqu%C3%A9s/2022/03/17/le-trophee-des-champions-de-retour-a-tel-aviv

² https://www.challenges.fr/economie/sylvan-adams-l-ambassadeur-milliardaire-d-israel_719175

³ https://www.comtecint.com/clients/

⁴ Sylvan Adams is one of the owners and financial backer of the Israel Cycling Academy cycling team, which became Israel Start-Up Nation and then Israel-Premier Tech. This is the first professional Israeli cycling team to get a UCI World Tour license, allowing it to participate in major competitions including the Tour de France.

https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/le-sport-de-haut-niveau-pour-changer-l-image-d-israel-4464466

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-radio/planete-sport/planete-sport-le-milliardaire-qui-voulait-faire-rayonner-israel-par-le-cyclisme_4045671.html

⁵ https://pchrgaza.org/en/israeli-human-rights-violations-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territory-weekly-update-26-may-01-june-2022/

https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2022/04/11/palestine-mourns-death-another-footballer-shot-dead-israeli-forces/

⁶ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/05/israeli-court-evict-1000-palestinians-west-bank-area

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/proche-orient/israel-palestine/cisjordanie-israel-approuve-pres-de-4-500-logements-dans-des-colonies_5135032.html

⁷ https://addameer.org/ https://www.addameer.org/media/4759

Israeli authorities have renewed Salah Hamouri’s administrative detention for three months, until September 5th.

https://www.humanite.fr/monde/salah-hamouri-les-autorites-israeliennes-prolongent-sa-detention-administrative-752916

⁸ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANuSxZzKUqE

https://www.franceinter.fr/emissions/le-zoom-de-la-redaction/le-zoom-de-la-redaction-du-vendredi-20-mai-2022

⁹ see reports from NGOs Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch et Betselem
https://www.amnesty.org/fr/latest/news/2022/02/israels-apartheid-against-palestinians-a-cruel-system-of-domination-and-a-crime-against-humanity/

https://www.hrw.org/fr/news/2021/04/27/des-politiques-israeliennes-abusives-constituent-des-crimes-dapartheid-et-de

https://www.btselem.org/publications/fulltext/202101_this_is_apartheid

¹⁰ https://www.leparisien.fr/sports/football/guerre-en-ukraine-la-lfp-stoppe-la-diffusion-de-la-l1-en-russie-04-03-2022-R4BFF3E7OJDEZKMJEO5IGZJJQA.php

The statement is also  available in Arabic, Spanish and French

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Read the letter below: (Download the letter)

Open letter from Boykot Israel Kampagnen Denmark

Call on DBU:

Give the Red Card to Israel

No to the Danish men’s Football team’s participation in the World Championship qualification matches against the Israeli Occupation Team!

Boykot Israel Kampagnen Denmark calls on The Danish Football Association (Dansk Bold-Union – DBU) to boycott the Danish men’s Football team’s participation in the qualification matches against Israel, planned to be on Israeli ground March 25 and on Danish ground September 7.

Israel violates the FIFA rules which ban racism and apartheid: Israel is occupying Palestine, is committing massacres in Gaza and is harassing Palestinian footballers by denying them any opportunity to circulate both inside and outside occupied Palestine, as well for training as for tournaments. Likewise, the Israeli army has destroyed several stadiums and is preventing spectators and fans from travelling to matches.

Israel deliberately uses Sports and Culture to cover over its crimes against the Palestinian people.

We call on the Danish players not to participate in matches against a team representing an occupying power and an Apartheid regime.

Therefore, drop the matches against Israel

Boykot Israel Kampagnen

www.boykotisrael.dk – facebook.com/boykotisrael.dk

Åbent brev fra Boykot Israel Kampagnen

Opfordring til DBU:

Giv Israel det røde kort!

Nej til det danske herrefodboldholds deltagelse i VM kvalifikationskampe mod det israelske besættelseshold!

Boykot Israel Kampagnen opfordrer DBU til at boykotte det danske herrefoldboldholds deltagelse i kvalifikationskampene Danmark – Israel der er planlagt til at finde sted den 25. marts på udebane og den 7. september på hjemmebane.

Israel bryder FIFA’s regler som forbyder racisme og apartheid:  Israel holder Palæstina besat, begår massakrer i Gaza og chikanerer palæstinensiske fodboldspillere der nægtes enhver mulighed for at bevæge sig i og uden for det besatte Palæstina, det være sig til uddannelse eller turneringer. Ligeledes har den israelske hær ødelagt flere stadions og forhindret tilskuere og tilhængere i at bevæge sig frit og overvære kampe.

Israel bruger bevidst sport og kultur til at dække over og hvidvaske sine forbrydelser mod palæstinenserne.

Vi opfordrer spillerne (som vi sportsligt har stor respekt for) til ikke at deltage i kampe mod et hold der repræsenterer en besættelsesmagt og et aparteidregime.

Drop kampene!

Boykot Israel Kampagnen

www.boykotisrael.dk – facebook.com/boykotisrael.dk