6 may 2017
In a letter issued on May 4th, over 170 Palestinian football clubs and sports associations urged FIFA to immediately suspend the Israeli Football Association’s (IFA) membership for its inclusion of seven football clubs that are based in illegal settlements.
The letter comes just days before FIFA’s annual Congress where FIFA is scheduled to make a decision on Israel’s settlement-based clubs, which contravene both international law and FIFA’s own statutes.
Palestinian athletic clubs call on FIFA to “uphold human rights and implement FIFA statutes without discrimination at the upcoming congress on May 11” by immediately suspending IFA’s membership for its inclusion of sports clubs that are based in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The letter cautions that “Palestinian football rights, FIFA’s reputation as champion of human rights” depend on FIFA’s decision in this regard.
Sports clubs from across the occupied West Bank added their name to the letter including the Hilal Al Quds Club, The Beit Sahour Women’s Club, Hebron Youth Club, Orthodox Club in Bethlehem, Bi’lin Club and Dheisheh Youth Athletic Club.
Palestinian clubs recall FIFA’s “historic role in the fight against apartheid in South Africa when it expelled the South African Football Association at its 1976 congress.” They urge FIFA to once again take this “historic opportunity” to show a serious commitment to human rights.
The letter raises concern over reports that FIFA will give the IFA six months to exclude settlement teams, seeing it as a continuation of FIFA’s delays. “Two years of attempts by the FIFA Monitoring Committee Israel-Palestine to rectify this issue should be proof enough that the status quo should not be extended,” the letter states.
This letter follows an international appeal from over 120 civil society organizations representing millions from across the globe, which called on FIFA to make a decision to exclude Israeli teams based in illegal settlements its congress.
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) was initiated in 2004 to contribute to the struggle for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality. PACBI advocates for the boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, given their deep and persistent complicity in Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights as stipulated in international law.
Visit PACBI at https://bdsmovement.net/pacbi and follow us on Twitter @PACBI
The letter comes just days before FIFA’s annual Congress where FIFA is scheduled to make a decision on Israel’s settlement-based clubs, which contravene both international law and FIFA’s own statutes.
Palestinian athletic clubs call on FIFA to “uphold human rights and implement FIFA statutes without discrimination at the upcoming congress on May 11” by immediately suspending IFA’s membership for its inclusion of sports clubs that are based in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The letter cautions that “Palestinian football rights, FIFA’s reputation as champion of human rights” depend on FIFA’s decision in this regard.
Sports clubs from across the occupied West Bank added their name to the letter including the Hilal Al Quds Club, The Beit Sahour Women’s Club, Hebron Youth Club, Orthodox Club in Bethlehem, Bi’lin Club and Dheisheh Youth Athletic Club.
Palestinian clubs recall FIFA’s “historic role in the fight against apartheid in South Africa when it expelled the South African Football Association at its 1976 congress.” They urge FIFA to once again take this “historic opportunity” to show a serious commitment to human rights.
The letter raises concern over reports that FIFA will give the IFA six months to exclude settlement teams, seeing it as a continuation of FIFA’s delays. “Two years of attempts by the FIFA Monitoring Committee Israel-Palestine to rectify this issue should be proof enough that the status quo should not be extended,” the letter states.
This letter follows an international appeal from over 120 civil society organizations representing millions from across the globe, which called on FIFA to make a decision to exclude Israeli teams based in illegal settlements its congress.
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) was initiated in 2004 to contribute to the struggle for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality. PACBI advocates for the boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, given their deep and persistent complicity in Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights as stipulated in international law.
Visit PACBI at https://bdsmovement.net/pacbi and follow us on Twitter @PACBI
25 apr 2017
The national committee to support the “freedom and dignity strike” called for a comprehensive boycott of Israeli products in response to the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
The national committee launched calls to boycott all Israeli goods all the way through the hunger strike, which has been ongoing for the ninth consecutive day.
The committee spoke out against the mistreatment and crackdowns perpetrated by the Israeli prison authorities against the Palestinian hunger strikers and urged all traders to cease importing Israeli products.
The committee further pushed for removing Israeli goods from supermarket shelves and preventing vehicles laden with Israeli products from entering the occupied Palestinian territories.
“The least we, the Palestinians, can do is to stop purchasing such goods in solidarity with the hunger strikers,” the committee added.
The national committee launched calls to boycott all Israeli goods all the way through the hunger strike, which has been ongoing for the ninth consecutive day.
The committee spoke out against the mistreatment and crackdowns perpetrated by the Israeli prison authorities against the Palestinian hunger strikers and urged all traders to cease importing Israeli products.
The committee further pushed for removing Israeli goods from supermarket shelves and preventing vehicles laden with Israeli products from entering the occupied Palestinian territories.
“The least we, the Palestinians, can do is to stop purchasing such goods in solidarity with the hunger strikers,” the committee added.
Ex-political prisoners and activists in South Africa embarked on a campaign in solidarity with the Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli jails.
The campaign was launched by the Ex-Political Prisoners of South Africa Association and Ahmed Kathrada Foundation under the title “Boycott of Israel for Palestine Initiative.”
The campaign was announced during a press conference in Johannesburg to express solidarity with the Palestinian detainees who have joined the mass hunger strike that has been ongoing for the 9th day running.
A joint statement by the two NGOs harked back to the fallouts of the apartheid era in South Africa, which they said is not so much different from the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The statement lashed out at Israel for turning its back on international law and human rights conventions over 50 years of colonization.
According to the South African NGOs, 800,000 Palestinians have been arrested and imprisoned by the Israeli occupation on racist grounds over the past 50 years.
They stressed the legitimacy and fairness of the Palestinian hunger strike in Israeli jails and expressed their unyielding support for the prisoners’ cause.
Hundreds of Palestinians joined a mass hunger strike that started in Israeli jails as of April 17 to press for basic human rights and protest the abject detention conditions.
Nearly 6,500 Palestinians, among whom 57 women and 300 children, are held in 24 Israeli lock-ups and detention centers across the occupied Palestinian territories.
The campaign was launched by the Ex-Political Prisoners of South Africa Association and Ahmed Kathrada Foundation under the title “Boycott of Israel for Palestine Initiative.”
The campaign was announced during a press conference in Johannesburg to express solidarity with the Palestinian detainees who have joined the mass hunger strike that has been ongoing for the 9th day running.
A joint statement by the two NGOs harked back to the fallouts of the apartheid era in South Africa, which they said is not so much different from the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The statement lashed out at Israel for turning its back on international law and human rights conventions over 50 years of colonization.
According to the South African NGOs, 800,000 Palestinians have been arrested and imprisoned by the Israeli occupation on racist grounds over the past 50 years.
They stressed the legitimacy and fairness of the Palestinian hunger strike in Israeli jails and expressed their unyielding support for the prisoners’ cause.
Hundreds of Palestinians joined a mass hunger strike that started in Israeli jails as of April 17 to press for basic human rights and protest the abject detention conditions.
Nearly 6,500 Palestinians, among whom 57 women and 300 children, are held in 24 Israeli lock-ups and detention centers across the occupied Palestinian territories.
23 apr 2017
The FIFA committee charged with examining the Israeli-Palestinian issue has recommended that the international body give Israel a period of six months to discontinue matches in illegal West Bank settlements before making a decision about a possible Israeli suspension from the soccer organization, Haaretz reported on Sunday.
A draft of the report, seen by Haaretz, reportedly recommends that if Israeli teams continue to play in the occupied West Bank, FIFA should take a decision about whether the teams or the country should be suspended.
On Thursday, Haaretz reported that the Israeli government is increasingly worried that soccer teams based in settlements in the occupied West Bank will face suspension from the international federation governing the sport.
With the FIFA Congress due to meet in May, Israel sent a cable to dozens of ambassadors on Tuesday, instructing them to liaise with officials from their host countries as part of an effort to stave off any potential move.
An official told Haaretz that the efforts began after Israel learned that the Palestinian Football Association had sent a request that the question of the eligibility of teams based in settlements be placed on the agenda for both the FIFA Council and the FIFA Congress.
In October 2016, the Palestine Football Association called on FIFA to either expel the six clubs in settlements, or relocate them to within Israel’s Green Line. However, the world's football governing body postponed making a decision on the issue.
A draft of the report, seen by Haaretz, reportedly recommends that if Israeli teams continue to play in the occupied West Bank, FIFA should take a decision about whether the teams or the country should be suspended.
On Thursday, Haaretz reported that the Israeli government is increasingly worried that soccer teams based in settlements in the occupied West Bank will face suspension from the international federation governing the sport.
With the FIFA Congress due to meet in May, Israel sent a cable to dozens of ambassadors on Tuesday, instructing them to liaise with officials from their host countries as part of an effort to stave off any potential move.
An official told Haaretz that the efforts began after Israel learned that the Palestinian Football Association had sent a request that the question of the eligibility of teams based in settlements be placed on the agenda for both the FIFA Council and the FIFA Congress.
In October 2016, the Palestine Football Association called on FIFA to either expel the six clubs in settlements, or relocate them to within Israel’s Green Line. However, the world's football governing body postponed making a decision on the issue.
21 apr 2017
April 19, 2017 – Today, in light of the Barcelona City Council’s vote to condemn Israel’s occupation, call to end complicity in Israel’s violations of international law, and affirmation of the legitimacy of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian human rights, the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) released the following statement:
Recognizing how similar measures have contributed to ending apartheid in South Africa, Palestinian civil society salutes the Barcelona City Council for its historic decision to end complicity in Israel’s occupation and human rights violations by voting to:
“Condemn the Israeli occupation and policies of colonization of Palestinian territories and the plunder, exploitation, destruction and depletion of Palestinian natural resources and wealth, including land and water.”
The council also voted to ensure that its public procurement policies incorporate clauses guaranteeing respect for human rights in order to “prevent the Barcelona City Council from having any kind of complicity with this occupation, violation of human rights and plundering of resources.”
The motion encourages local authorities and municipalities to introduce human rights clauses within all public procurement contracts, which would rightly exclude from public tenders corporations profiting from Israel’s illegal settlements and abuses of Palestinian human rights.
In an unmistakable reference to the right to advocate for Palestinian rights through BDS tactics, the Barcelona City Council recognized the legitimacy of “nonviolent campaigns promoted by Palestinian and international civil society for defending international and human rights law in Palestine.”
With this landmark decision, the Barcelona City Council joins more than 70 local authorities across the Spanish state that have adopted diverse measures to end local complicity in Israel’s regime of occupation, apartheid and settler-colonialism. Tens of these local authorities have passed motions in support of the BDS movement for Palestinian rights and declared themselves “Apartheid Free Zones”.
Rafeef Ziadah, member of the International Secretariat of the BNC said:
We warmly welcome this victory for human rights and salute the Barcelona City Council for taking this significant step forward to uphold Palestinian rights under international law. After 50 years of Israel’s military occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and decades of its regime of apartheid and settler-colonialism, it is heartening to see people of conscience adopting the logic of nonviolent pressure promoted by the fast-growing BDS movement.
Following similar positions by the European Union and the governments of Sweden, Ireland and Netherlands, the Barcelona City Council’s recognition of the right to advocate for Palestinian rights through BDS campaigns is a triumph for free speech and democratic rights in Europe. It gives further recognition to BDS as an inclusive, inspiring, anti-racist movement rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that upholds the basic principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.
At a time of shrinking democratic space for citizens and civil society across Europe, it is empowering to witness how citizens and elected officials are recognizing that ending their institutions’ involvement in Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights intersects with domestic agendas that promote gender, social, economic and environmental justice.
Read the statement by Spanish state Palestine solidarity groups in English and in Spanish.
Recognizing how similar measures have contributed to ending apartheid in South Africa, Palestinian civil society salutes the Barcelona City Council for its historic decision to end complicity in Israel’s occupation and human rights violations by voting to:
“Condemn the Israeli occupation and policies of colonization of Palestinian territories and the plunder, exploitation, destruction and depletion of Palestinian natural resources and wealth, including land and water.”
The council also voted to ensure that its public procurement policies incorporate clauses guaranteeing respect for human rights in order to “prevent the Barcelona City Council from having any kind of complicity with this occupation, violation of human rights and plundering of resources.”
The motion encourages local authorities and municipalities to introduce human rights clauses within all public procurement contracts, which would rightly exclude from public tenders corporations profiting from Israel’s illegal settlements and abuses of Palestinian human rights.
In an unmistakable reference to the right to advocate for Palestinian rights through BDS tactics, the Barcelona City Council recognized the legitimacy of “nonviolent campaigns promoted by Palestinian and international civil society for defending international and human rights law in Palestine.”
With this landmark decision, the Barcelona City Council joins more than 70 local authorities across the Spanish state that have adopted diverse measures to end local complicity in Israel’s regime of occupation, apartheid and settler-colonialism. Tens of these local authorities have passed motions in support of the BDS movement for Palestinian rights and declared themselves “Apartheid Free Zones”.
Rafeef Ziadah, member of the International Secretariat of the BNC said:
We warmly welcome this victory for human rights and salute the Barcelona City Council for taking this significant step forward to uphold Palestinian rights under international law. After 50 years of Israel’s military occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and decades of its regime of apartheid and settler-colonialism, it is heartening to see people of conscience adopting the logic of nonviolent pressure promoted by the fast-growing BDS movement.
Following similar positions by the European Union and the governments of Sweden, Ireland and Netherlands, the Barcelona City Council’s recognition of the right to advocate for Palestinian rights through BDS campaigns is a triumph for free speech and democratic rights in Europe. It gives further recognition to BDS as an inclusive, inspiring, anti-racist movement rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that upholds the basic principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.
At a time of shrinking democratic space for citizens and civil society across Europe, it is empowering to witness how citizens and elected officials are recognizing that ending their institutions’ involvement in Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights intersects with domestic agendas that promote gender, social, economic and environmental justice.
Read the statement by Spanish state Palestine solidarity groups in English and in Spanish.
More than 100 sports associations, trade s, human rights organizations and faith based groups from 28 countries joined football champions, scholars, film directors, politicians and government officials in calling on FIFA’s Council members to insist that Israel’s national football league revoke the affiliation of seven clubs based in illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territory, or face suspension from FIFA.
The signatories, according to WAFA, delivered their letter to FIFA Council members ahead of FIFA’s upcoming 67th Congress on May 10-11.
They include former UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk, former Brazilian Minister for Human Rights Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, South African Communist Party Central Committee Member and Minister of Sports & Recreation Thulas Nxesi (signed in his personal capacity), renowned British filmmakers Ken Loach and Paul Laverty, former Peruvian football champion Juan Carlos Oblitas Saba and former athlete and President of Peru’s Congress Daniel Fernando Abugattás Majluf, and the Brazilian trade CUT with over 7.4 million members.
The letter criticizes FIFA for repeated delays and selective enforcement of its own rules which prohibit any member federation from holding matches on the territory of another without the latter’s approval.
The Israeli national league is clearly violating FIFA’s own rules by holding matches in occupied Palestinian territory against the wishes of the Palestinian federation.
For some unknown reason, the Congress’ agenda does not include the report from FIFA’s own Monitoring Committee, which was established in 2015 to find a solution. However, the Palestinian Football Association has tabled its own motion.
The letter exposes FIFA for running afoul of its own recent commitment to respect and promote internationally recognized human rights.
“This laudable goal will be judged by the extent of its implementation in real-life contexts,” states the letter, noting it will be a tragedy for all and a poor commentary on FIFA if its newly-declared policy “falls at the first hurdle.”
Juan Carlos Oblitas Saba, the Athletic Director of the Peruvian Football Federation and a retired football champion who represented Peru dozens of times on the international stage, said: “FIFA’s position concerning human rights should be as transparent as possible, and no country can be above the United Nations’ rulings on the [Israeli] settlements invading the Palestinian Territories. I have dedicated my entire life to football, I have never intervened in politics, but this goes beyond the pale, especially with respect to the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.”
At a recent event in Johannesburg, South African Parliamentarian and member of the South African Parliament Football Club, P.J. Mguni, said: “Apartheid Israel must be banned from FIFA international events and isolated because sports boycott against inhumane and unfair sports could go a long way to restoring peace and dignity in that region especially for the Palestinian people…our fellow South Africans must understand that the international community constituted a great part of our support systems in terms of the international isolation of apartheid South Africa back before 1994. In the same manner oppressed people anywhere are part of us, so as South Africans from all corners we must really support people who are still struggling for emancipation like the Palestinians are doing under the notorious Israel apartheid state.”
Hind Awwad from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel said: “Israel is using ‘the beautiful game’ to whitewash its violations of international law and human rights, and FIFA is shamefully standing by allowing this to happen, damaging its own reputation. FIFA must realize that Palestinian and international human rights defenders will not abandon their legitimate demand for FIFA to ultimately suspend the Israeli Football Association due to its inclusion of Israeli settlements clubs based on stolen Palestinian land, and to Israel’s routine targeting of Palestinian sports, deliberate destruction of football stadiums and arrest, torture and restriction of movement of Palestinian athletes.”
Geoff Lee from Red Card Israeli Racism (UK), said: “Getting rid of racism in football will help eliminate the tragically high level of racism practiced by the Israeli state. Israeli laws, military actions and bureaucratic obstacles repress Palestinian football as well as the whole Palestinian community. Sanctions are needed to generate change. We demand FIFA sanctions Israel by suspending the Israeli Football Association from FIFA and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), until Israel observes international law and respects the human rights of Palestinians.”
The signatories, according to WAFA, delivered their letter to FIFA Council members ahead of FIFA’s upcoming 67th Congress on May 10-11.
They include former UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk, former Brazilian Minister for Human Rights Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, South African Communist Party Central Committee Member and Minister of Sports & Recreation Thulas Nxesi (signed in his personal capacity), renowned British filmmakers Ken Loach and Paul Laverty, former Peruvian football champion Juan Carlos Oblitas Saba and former athlete and President of Peru’s Congress Daniel Fernando Abugattás Majluf, and the Brazilian trade CUT with over 7.4 million members.
The letter criticizes FIFA for repeated delays and selective enforcement of its own rules which prohibit any member federation from holding matches on the territory of another without the latter’s approval.
The Israeli national league is clearly violating FIFA’s own rules by holding matches in occupied Palestinian territory against the wishes of the Palestinian federation.
For some unknown reason, the Congress’ agenda does not include the report from FIFA’s own Monitoring Committee, which was established in 2015 to find a solution. However, the Palestinian Football Association has tabled its own motion.
The letter exposes FIFA for running afoul of its own recent commitment to respect and promote internationally recognized human rights.
“This laudable goal will be judged by the extent of its implementation in real-life contexts,” states the letter, noting it will be a tragedy for all and a poor commentary on FIFA if its newly-declared policy “falls at the first hurdle.”
Juan Carlos Oblitas Saba, the Athletic Director of the Peruvian Football Federation and a retired football champion who represented Peru dozens of times on the international stage, said: “FIFA’s position concerning human rights should be as transparent as possible, and no country can be above the United Nations’ rulings on the [Israeli] settlements invading the Palestinian Territories. I have dedicated my entire life to football, I have never intervened in politics, but this goes beyond the pale, especially with respect to the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.”
At a recent event in Johannesburg, South African Parliamentarian and member of the South African Parliament Football Club, P.J. Mguni, said: “Apartheid Israel must be banned from FIFA international events and isolated because sports boycott against inhumane and unfair sports could go a long way to restoring peace and dignity in that region especially for the Palestinian people…our fellow South Africans must understand that the international community constituted a great part of our support systems in terms of the international isolation of apartheid South Africa back before 1994. In the same manner oppressed people anywhere are part of us, so as South Africans from all corners we must really support people who are still struggling for emancipation like the Palestinians are doing under the notorious Israel apartheid state.”
Hind Awwad from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel said: “Israel is using ‘the beautiful game’ to whitewash its violations of international law and human rights, and FIFA is shamefully standing by allowing this to happen, damaging its own reputation. FIFA must realize that Palestinian and international human rights defenders will not abandon their legitimate demand for FIFA to ultimately suspend the Israeli Football Association due to its inclusion of Israeli settlements clubs based on stolen Palestinian land, and to Israel’s routine targeting of Palestinian sports, deliberate destruction of football stadiums and arrest, torture and restriction of movement of Palestinian athletes.”
Geoff Lee from Red Card Israeli Racism (UK), said: “Getting rid of racism in football will help eliminate the tragically high level of racism practiced by the Israeli state. Israeli laws, military actions and bureaucratic obstacles repress Palestinian football as well as the whole Palestinian community. Sanctions are needed to generate change. We demand FIFA sanctions Israel by suspending the Israeli Football Association from FIFA and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), until Israel observes international law and respects the human rights of Palestinians.”