The campaign to have Israel thrown out of FIFA over the Gaza crisis will be stepped up at the world governing body’s annual congress next month.The Palestine Football Association is urging FIFA’s 211 member federations, when they meet in Thailand, to impose “appropriate sanctions, with immediate effect, against Israeli teams” on the grounds of human rights and humanitarian law violations.“All the football infrastructure in Gaza has been either destroyed or seriously damaged, including the historic stadium of Al-Yarmuk,” the Palestinian FA motion says.Article 4 of the FIFA statutes strictly prohibits “discrimination of any kind against a country … or group of people” on any grounds, and says any breach of this non-discrimination obligation is punishable by “suspension or expulsion”.
The chances of success are slim, but that isn't the point. The Palestinian football federation, headed by Jibril Rajoub, has made no secret of using sports as a means to demonize Israel.
After an important win in January by the Palestinian team, Al Jazeera asked Rajoub what the victory meant. His answer explains how everything is about demonizing Israel politically, and not to teach about sportsmanship, or giving people something to root for, or brotherhood:
Al Jazeera: What does the success of the Palestinian team mean to the people in Gaza?Jibril Rajoub: We, the Palestinian football family, believe that the sport can be a good tool to expose the suffering of the Palestinian people and to highlight their determination and commitment to achieving their goals.
Rajoub told Wafa things like this:
The draft resolution also includes a demand for Israel to stop the genocide it is committing against the Palestinian people, which includes sports and athletes, as 256 sports martyrs have been counted, including 5 in the West Bank, players, administrators and technicians, whom Israel has killed so far, in addition to dozens of people missing under the rubble. "We have not been able to count them yet, hundreds of detainees, destroying all sports facilities, and converting some stadiums and facilities into interrogation centers similar to Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib .”
While Rajoub has attempted to push similar resolutions for more than a decade, the only action FIFA took was against...him.
The president of the Palestinian Football Association has been banned from all football activity for the next year after calling on fans to burn jerseys and pictures of Barcelona star Lionel Messi.Jibril Rajoub made the comments about Messi in advance of the planned friendly match between Argentina and Israel in Jerusalem before this summer's World Cup. The game was ultimately cancelled amid political pressure.In addition to a 12-month match suspension, Rajoub has also been handed a fine of 20,000 Swiss francs (€17,500) for breaching article 53 of FIFA's disciplinary code."The disciplinary committee held that Mr Rajoub's statements incited hatred and violence, and consequently imposed the above-mentioned sanctions," FIFA explained in a statement on Friday.
Rajoub does nothing else but incit hate and violence, including by using FIFA procedures themselves.
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