The President of the West Asian Football Association, Jordanian Prince Ali bin Al Hussein (l.), calls for Israel to be excluded from FIFA. (IMAGO/APAimages/IMAGO/Shadi Hatemapaimages)
In the Middle East, twelve football associations are calling for Israel to be excluded from the world association FIFA. The initiator: Prince Ali bin Al Hussein from Jordan, the president of the West Asian Football Association. Signatories also include Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Their open letter said: “We call on FIFA and its members to take a clear stand against the atrocities and war crimes committed by the killing of innocent civilians – including players, coaches, referees and officials – and the destruction of sports facilities condemn and by isolating the Israeli association until these acts of aggression cease.”
European politicians are also calling for sanctions
In February, 26 members of the French Parliament also sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In it they call for sanctions against Israeli sport. In the European Parliament, 13 members are taking part in a similar initiative.
In addition, activists and athletes in several countries are networking to petition against Israeli sport. In their argument they refer to the Olympic Charter. It says: “Everyone must have the opportunity to practice sport without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit.”
A stadium as an internment camp
As a contrast, the facts from the war: Hundreds of athletes, coaches and officials were probably killed in Gaza, including Hani Al Masdar, assistant coach of the Palestinian U23 national team.
Dozens of sports fields, halls and association rooms in Gaza have been destroyed, including those of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, reports American author Jules Boykoff, who has long been involved in sports policy: “The important Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza was used by the Israeli army as a Internment camp used. One would think that these facts would be noticed by the IOC. But so far they have not been impressed. These facts are certainly similar to what we experienced in Ukraine.”
Numerous activists and organizations are demanding that Israel be treated the same as Russia in sports. After the attack on Ukraine, umbrella organizations such as FIFA and UEFA excluded Russian teams from their competitions.
Martin Krauss, author of the “taz” and the “Jüdische Allgemeine”, finds the comparison with Russia strange. Finally, on October 7th, Israel was attacked by the terrorist organization Hamas. Krauss says:
One cannot speak of a war of aggression that would be in any way comparable to what Russia is doing. And certainly not about genocide or genocide or whatever propaganda terms are floating around. If I stand up loudly and say that Jewish athletes or representatives of a Jewish state are not allowed to be there, I wouldn’t know what it is other than anti-Semitism.
Martin Krauss, author for the “taz” and “Jüdische Allgemeine”
Sport in the Jewish settlements
The international sports associations also do not want to put Israel and Russia on the same level. The IOC recalls the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee in 2023. The reason: The ROC had bound the sports administrations in the occupied Ukrainian territories and thus, according to the IOC, “violated the territorial integrity of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine”. When asked about the war in Gaza, the IOC said: “This conflict or the many other armed conflicts in our world cannot be compared with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”
More than 300 Palestinian sports organizations reject this interpretation. In a campaign they also remind people of everyday life before the war: their athletes were often held at checkpoints in the West Bank. Israeli authorities have often made it difficult to import their sports equipment. On the other hand, football teams from the Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which the UN has classified as violating international law, also take part in competitions run by Israeli associations.
Nevertheless, international sports associations are holding back from commenting. Journalist Jules Boykoff says: “The USA, as Israel’s most important partner and arms supplier, plays an important role. The IOC already suffers from difficult relations with Russia, once one of the most important players in sport. Therefore, the IOC will certainly not risk a conflict with another major sporting nation. And it’s not just the USA. Other important countries such as Germany and France also support Israel.”
Hamas is said to have fired rockets from sports fields
In Israel, the media and authorities also use sport as part of their line of defense. Hamas is also said to have fired rockets from sports fields in Gaza. Palestinian football teams were sometimes used as recruiting cells.
In addition, Israeli sport has a decades-long history in which its athletes have been repeatedly excluded and boycotted, recalls journalist Martin Krauss: “It was always so-called Western politically oriented states that took part in these things. As is well known, Israel is a country located on the Mediterranean. Whether they took place in Italy, Spain or Turkey: Israel is still not allowed to take part in the Mediterranean Games to this day. Although these games are also under the patronage of the IOC.”
Israeli athletes under personal protection
The Israeli national soccer team could now qualify for the European Championship in the play-offs; it would be their first major tournament since the 1970 World Cup. But for the host Germany, this would pose major challenges in terms of security. The few Israeli athletes who have taken part in international competitions since October 7th have been under special protection. For example, the swimmers recently at the World Cup in Qatar. Martin Krauss says: “The special thing was that they were traveling with bodyguards, i.e. with constant personal protection, so that they completely changed their everyday routine. That the hotel is completely shielded.”
The number of anti-Semitic incidents has increased dramatically in Germany. Groups such as the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, which wants to isolate Israel economically and is classified as anti-Semitic by the Bundestag, are also taking up sport. On the Internet, BDS calls for protests, sit-ins and “peaceful disruptions” at competitions. Possibly also at the European Football Championship and at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
