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BDS: FIFA complicit in human rights abuses by Israel

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While the hunger strike of some 1500 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli detention centres continues, another fight for Palestine is taking place in the sports arena. Following years of contestation against Israel’s continued acceptance into the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), activists in recent weeks have rallied around the world and urged the body not to remain complicit in the violation of human rights abuses by its member states. This ahead of the upcoming FIFA Congress set to kick off on Thursday.

BDS South Africa, in line with BDS campaigns around the world as part of this international #RedCardIsrael campaign, held a meeting with the South African Football Association (SAFA) on Wednesday to urge the SA body to actively intervene in the matter.

Speaking to VOC’s Drive Time, BDS SA spokesperson, Kwara Kekana, explained that the meeting was part of the international campaign, where BDS campaigns around the world are urging their local football associations to support the call to expel Israel from FIFA.  At issue are six Israeli teams from within the West Bank that form part of the Israeli football league, Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The discussion around FIFA’s acceptance of Israeli teams, therefore, calls to the fore a broader discussion of illegal Israeli settlements within Palestinian territories and the continued demolition of Palestinian homes by Israeli authorities.

“It will set a particular precedent internationally, where international law is contravened. But will also send a clear message of the illegality of the settlement industry and reiterate the position of the United Nations Security Council last year that stated that the settlement industry constituted no legal validity and, therefore, is a violation of international law,” Kekana stated.

She said that the meeting with SAFA included the broader issues,  one to state the case that Israel is in violation of international law, but also FIFA’s rules that speaks to the fact that teams are not allowed to play on the territory of another football association’s territory without the latter’s permission.

This comes on the back of the establishment of a joint Israeli-Palestinian monitoring committee headed by former South African minister, headed by former Tokyo Sexwale, which monitored amongst other things, the movement of players, equipment and spectators in and out of Palestinian territories, as well as the issue of the six Israeli football teams in the West Bank.

“The collective wisdom of the international community remains to be seen at the FIFA Congress. The outcomes thereof in this particular issue in terms of human rights concerns.”

Commenting on FIFA’s historic role in addressing concerns of racism and human rights abuses, Kekana says that in 1963 SAFA was expelled from the international body due to South Africa’s Apartheid policies and, therefore, urges FIFA to abide by its own rules.

“There is evidence on the issue of exclusion of settlement teams; the exclusion of the team that forms part of the Russian football league where one football association was playing on the territory of another without the others permission – So there is precedence to this particular issue,” she added.

Kekana says that by FIFA not giving precedence to the human rights abuses by Israel, FIFA finds itself complicit in the violation of international law.

FIFA has since removed from its agenda the issue of the six Israeli settlement teams. This after the Israeli Football Association presented a document that reportedly denied in its entirety that an occupation currently exists in Palestinian Territories.

VOC 91.3fm

 


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