As Israel prepares to play in the FIFA World Cup 2026, their football teams face calls to be banned from all competitions.
Football fans around the world have sung, undoing banners and maintaining red banners that require FIFA and the union of European football associations (UEFA) « shows the red card to Israel ».
« It is amazing that it arrives so far, » the Palestinian content creator told CBC News. « All this kind of thing was pleasantly surprised by me. »
The campaign started on February 12 during a champion league match in Scotland. Celtic FC fans expressed their support for Palestinians and asked for FIFA and UEFA to « show Israel the red card ».
According to the organizersThe protest was driven by Israel’s ongoing attacks in Gaza and the busy the West Bank.
« Israel is committing genocide and ethnic cleansing; it is to practice apartheid; and it illegally occupies a Palestinian territory. All this violates international law, » said the Fan group of Celtic, in a booklet before the party.
« We call football fans around the world who value life, humanity, dignity, freedom, peace and justice to be brave and to use your platform to keep the crimes of Israel and keep with Palestine, » the group continued.
Since then, the campaign has spread to countries like Italy, Spanish, Belgium, Malaysia, Tunisia, Brazil and Chileamong others.
FIFA and UEFA did not respond to repeated CBC applications for a comment.
Protests arrive after Israel has killed almost 50,000 Palestinians in Gaza In his post-octopic. 7 operations, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Among Gaza’s death toll is at least 734 Palestinian athletes and explorers, including 382 footballers, According to the Palestinian Football Association (PFA). Israeli army says he has killed At least 20,000 militantswithout providing evidence.
Israel launched his offensive in Gaza after October 7, on October 7, 2023, the attack on Israel, where about 1,200 and 250 were killed according to Israeli high.
We will not deter: Israeli football body
In a statement to CBC News, Israel Football Association (IFA) said that their teams and athletes will not deter participate in world sports events.
« We encounter some incidents of ignorance, self-realitude and abysmal hatred that apparently express protests. The facts and reality are well known to us and for many others, and no stupid sign will change them, » said the IFA in their email.
This is not the first time that Israel has faced scrutiny in the world of sports since October 7.
In front of the 2024 Paris Olympics, protesters, including some French legislators and A deputy – He asked the International Olympic Committee to ban Israel at the Games.
That same year, 12 Middle East football associations -Directed by the President of the West Asian Football Federation, Prince Ali Bin in Hussein, the half brother of King Abdullah II of Jordan, also asked FIFA to ban Israel from his competitions.
The PFA requested that the FIFA suspend Israel after claiming that the IFA violated FIFA’s rules of discrimination. FIFA’s advice ordered a Independent legal analysis and opened a discrimination investigationBut he delayed the decision to suspend Israel.
The conflict has involved tensions for football matches involving Israeli teams. On November 6 and 7, 2024, local Dutch club fans AJAX and Visiting Team Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv faced Amsterdam, which resulted in five hospitalizations and dozens of arrests.
Football journalist Ronan Murphy says protests could cause some Israeli teams and fans to feel insecure by attending matches.
« I think there will always be this tension around the fans or teams that play Israeli clubs and the national football team of Israel playing in outside games, » CBC News told.
« It can come to the stage where fans do not travel out of fear of violence or locals will not want Israeli fans to come out of fear of violence themselves. »
Consciousness is key to the campaign
FIFA and UEFA did not publicly comment on the « Show Israel The Red Card » campaign, which is not surprised by Murphy.
« No matter what they say, it will be an unpopular decision. It is impossible for an organization like that to like everyone, » he said.
The BDAIR football content creator said he would like to see Israeli teams ostracis similar to Russia, which was Manta prohibited by FIFA and UEFA Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine.
« We have seen how much a certain country can damage, » said BDAIR, who is a well -known AC Milan fan in X. « We no longer see Russia in the World Cup, we do not see Russia in European competitions, we are barely talking about the Russian League. »
Although BDAIR says he does not think that a similar blanket ban on Israel is likely, he says it is important to highlight the « hypocrisy » that only Russia has been banned.
He also says that the awareness that the campaign has put into account Palestinians is more important than the suspension of Israeli teams.
« What I care about is that people know, and that’s what these protests are, » he said.
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