The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) called on US football teams not to sports wash Israel’s apartheid and to cancel all friendly games planned with Israeli teams. Citing the Israeli army killing of Palestinian footballer, Omar Qatin, in the West Bank on June 22, as well as Israeli soldiers regularly raiding Palestinian football matches, even children’s matches, firing tear gas, sound bombs, and rubber-coated steel bullets onto the pitch, the Israel Football Association governing and working hand-in-hand with the Israeli government to maintain teams in illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land, which constitute a war crime under international law, and the institutionalized racism among Israeli football fans promoted by the Israeli government, BDS and PACBI stressed that accepting to play exhibition matches with teams representing Israeli apartheid sports washes Israel’s racism, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. ‘Leading human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have found Israel guilty of the crime against humanity of apartheid,’ they said. ‘There is no separating sports and Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights,’ in reference to friendly matches planned between Orlando Pirates FC and AFC Bournemouth with Israeli teams. ‘We urge any other team considering such a match to refuse to sports wash Israeli apartheid. There’s nothing ‘friendly’ about playing football with teams representing apartheid Israel. As Palestinians living under the violent and deadly brutality of Israeli oppression, we call on Orlando Pirates FC and AFC Bournemouth to cancel ‘friendly’ matches with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Spain, July 13 and 16.’
Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA