Israeli Occupation forces tear-gaz Faisal Al-Husseini stadium during the Abu Ammar Cup final

Date: 30 March 2023

Time: around 10:00 p:m

Place: Faisal Al Husseini international stadium

Details: Two Israeli armored military vehicles broke into the premises of the Palestine Football Association through the main gate while the two professional teams of Jabal Al-Mukkaber and Balata FC were playing the first half of the Abu Ammar Cup final in the adjacent Faisal stadium. 

The  Israeli force, unprovoked,  decided to have fun tear-gassing the pitch and stands.

The match was stopped for an hour to treat the injured among whom were women and children.

Al-Mashtal U-16 Girls team plays the Tokyo Tournament final without both its coach and captain.

Allowing players to move from Gaza has long become the exception to the rule that they are not to move out at all.

This reality was sadly displayed yet again last month when the Al-Mashtal club from Gaza tried to get permits to play the final match of the "Tokyo U-16 tournament" against the Ramallah first Group Club in Bethlehem.

Despite the efforts of the Palestine Football Association and UNDP to obtain permits for a delegation of 16 persons to enable them to be in Bethlehem on Monday,  May 16, only 7 persons got their permits before their departure. The team had to wait at the Erez checkpoint for the rest of the permits, and when these finally came, the team found out that it will have to play without its Captain, and its coach.

The Tournament, jointly organized by the UNDP and the Japanese Representative Office in Palestine, ended in Al-Mashtal losing the match. Tears of frustration turned into tears of joy when the winning team, in an admirable show of sportsmanship,  gifted the cup to the losing one. 

Israeli occupation executes yet another young player in AlKhader

 On Friday, May 27, 15-year-old player Zeid Mohammad Ghneim, a young football talent in AlKhader Academy was shot to death by Israeli occupation soldiers in his hometown of Alkhader.

Zeid was protesting the upcoming Israeli "Flag March", an annual parade marking the illegal Israeli annexation of Eastern Jerusalem, and is attended by thousands of far-right Israelis and seen by many to be racist, anti-Palestinian, and violent. Eyewitnesses reported that Zeid, who had joined his townfolk in an un-armed demonstration, was cornered in an alley and shot in the back and neck by the Israeli soldiers. 

Young footballer lost to Israeli occupation violence

 Mohammad Ali Ahmad AlGhneim, 19 years old player in Al-Khadr Football club was supposed to play a match today, April 11, 2022, with his  3rd division team, when an Israeli soldier's bullet ended both his career and his life.

Mohammad,  number 19 on the official team's list was in his family's house, near the separation wall as a demonstration protesting  Israeli army field executions was taking place in the area.  He got shot in the back and died immediately.

Israeli Occupation authorities issue a confiscation order against "Hilal Al-Quds" Club

 On the dawn of Thursday, 24 March 2022, an Israeli occupation Intelligence force, accompanied by Municipality representatives, broke into the headquarters of "Hilal Al Quds", a premier league club located in occupied east Jerusalem. The force was in the process of the break-in when some club board members arrived and demanded a reason for the violent attempt. The force handed the board members a "property confiscation order” stating that if the administration fails to pay a fine of about 10,000,000 NIS, all property of the club will be confiscated. The administration was informed that they have ten days before the club headquartered will be closed, permanently.

The occupation municipality said that the amount is an accumulated “Arnona” [land] tax the club has not been paying for 30-40 years! The board maintains that it is an absurd claim, since the club, a nonprofit “Sports institution”, has not been able for decades to get registration as such in the Israeli occupation municipal records, which could have entitled it to a 66% Arnona tax reduction.

Hilal Al-Quds, yet to celebrate its golden jubilee, was established back in 1972. It has been providing a cultural and sports refuge for decades to thousands of youth and children in occupied east Jerusalem. It also has a Scouts division that does a lot of voluntary work in service of the community. 

Israeli forces break into the club HQ:

Israeli Occupation Authorities issue the 4th Demolition order against the Sur Baher club

The new year did not start with joy and hope for the staff, fans, and community of the Sur Baher club, located in east Jerusalem. For, just before 2021 ended, on the 27th of December, The Israeli occupation authorities handed the club the 4th notification for that past year, informing them that their facilities will be demolished for lack of  "proper building license", which is the term used for almost every other demolition in the densely populated Palestinian town.

Two years ago, the Club administration had made the legal paperwork to have their 8 dunums (8000 Sq meters) of Waqf land registered with the Islamic Awqaf, in the hope this will put an end to the repeated Israeli attempts to seize the land. This registration allowed the club to renovate the facilities, and install artificial turf for their home pitch.

Their relief was short-lived, for the Israeli authorities, as documented in many other instances in Sur Baher and the surrounding areas, will almost always find an instrument to de-legalize any measures taken to enable Palestinian communities to retain their property.

The club, which was established as far back as 1978, serves a community of over 25,000 people, providing youth with a chance to play football while also providing social, health, and cultural services to the community. It has a scouts division and is run by a general assembly of 636 people who elect its board. Its football team reached the 1st division in 1996 and won 2nd place in the Palestine Cup back in 1999

The Israeli Municipal authorities have been trying for years to take over the premises of the club, in return for some projects run by the occupation as compensation, but the community has rejected these offers every time, preferring to keep their club, whose facilities lie now in real danger of being lost. 

Sportmen killed or injured during the Israeli Air raids on Gaza, May 2021

 

Palestinian sports lost the following sportsmen during the recent airstrikes on Gaza. The Israeli official statement is that these airstrikes were a response to the launching of rockets by Hamas and other factions on Israeli cities. It fails to mention that Airstrikes do not discriminate, they kill wherever and whenever they fall.

Mohammad Sulaiman Abu Al-Ata, the 16-year-old player of Al-Namaa FC was killed during a raid of Jabalia on May 12, 2021

Muath Al-Za'anin, the 23-year old player of  Beit Hanoun 1st division FC was killed during the airstrikes on Beit Hanoun on 16 May, 2021

Adam Al-Fara'awi , player of Al-Shams Taekwondo club

Osama Al-Zebdeh, former player of Al-Mashtal FC

Wael Eisa Vice President of Al-Breij FC

Referee Sa'id Abdelwahab was severely injured in the spine in the airstrike of 15 May on Gaza

FC Balata youth Sa’id Yousef Odeh killed by Israeli soldiers during a raid on Udlah

Sa’id Yousef Odeh, the 16 years old player of Balata FC youth team never had the chance to carry on with his team beyond round 8 of the Tokyo football tournament; The youth was killed by an Israeli occupation soldier during an incursion of his home village of Udlah, near Huwarrah. 

The incident took place on Wednesday,   May 5,  2021. Sa’id, who had worn the number 22 in the match his team Balata played against the Hilal of Jericho, was accompanied by his friend, Munther Abdelrahim, when Israeli army forces raided the village in search of  Muntasir Shalabi, a Palestinian shooter who shot three Israeli settlers on the checkpoint of Za'atara on the previous Sunday, and withdrew from the scene in his private vehicle. As clashes broke out in the village after the Taraweeh prayers, Sa'id was fatally shot in the chest by the soldiers who were randomly shooting live bullets during their raid.

According to Munther Abdelrahim, and local activist Mahmoud Edeily, Munther tried to pull Sa'id away to safety, but the soldiers shot him and then caught up with both boys, detaining them where they fell. 

  Palestinian Red Crescent medic, Fayez Abdeljabbar, said the soldiers prevented the medics from reaching the two boys, leaving Sa'id to bleed to death when he clearly posed no danger to them. Abdeljabbar later realized that one of the two boys was his nephew, and only did so after the soldiers allowed the medics to reach the scene 15 minutes later. 

Though Munther was severely injured in the back, the medic was able to stabilize his condition. Sa'id had already lost all vital signs when his uncle realized who he was.

CHAPTER VI: Israeli Transgressions against Palestinian Sports :The end of Sexwale's Committee (FIFA 67th Congress May 2017 in Manama -FIFA 68th Congress May 2018 in Moscow)

CHAPTER VI: Israeli Transgressions against Palestinian Sports :The end of Sexwale's Committee (FIFA 67th Congress, May 2017 in Manama  & FIFA 68th Congress, May 2018 in Moscow)

By: Susan Shalabi

(Note: Writing in process/unfinished)

Ever since the 9th of January, which saw Sexwale present his three scenarios for solving the issue of the settlements clubs playing illegally on Palestinian territories, The Israeli Football Association (IFA) found excuses not to meet and discuss the scenarios. The Chairman gave both PFA and IFA a deadline to study the recommendations and comment on them 21 days from the 14th of April 2017.

The scenarios were:

1. Maintenance of the current Status Quo, which he warned will put FIFA in opposition to international legitimacy.

1. FIFA warns IFA with a “yellow card” to rectify the issue by desisting from administering football in Palestinian territories.

1. PFA and IFA to be encouraged to find a mutually agreed solution, an option which he warned will be futile

Sexwale proposed a meeting of the committee  either on the 7th or 8th of May 2017 (after the AFC Congress scheduled at 10h00) or on the 9th  (before the FIFA Council scheduled at 14h00)

The meeting took place on the 9th of May. The PFA stated that the second scenario could be acceptable, while the IFA rejected all scenarios, even the one that maintains the status quo! 

With the impossibility of finding common ground. Mr. Sexwale closed the meeting and declared that he will “consolidate” the comments received from PFA and IFA in a report he will present to the Council on that night.

Knowing that a decision may be delayed, and to safeguard its rights, the PFA had presented a resolution to the agenda of the FIFA 67th Congress to “recognise the PFA’s entitlement to all its right as described in Article 13 of FIFA Statutes”.

Surprisingly, FIFA allowed political third parties, including the Prime Minister of Israel, to dictate the agenda of the Congress, by relenting to pressure to block the vote on the PFA motion. The PM of Israel had, by his own admission, made a phone call to Mr. Infantino, specifically demanding that he take the Palestinian proposal off the agenda!

The vote on the motion was blocked, and FIFA President, Mr. Gianni Infantino, made a commitment before the Congress that a solution to the issue of the IFA-affiliated clubs will be made by the Council in its next meeting in October 2017

Since it became clear no consensus could be reached on the text of the report, Mr. Sexwale elected to include the remarks of both PFA and IFA with his original draft of the 3 scenarios.

The PFA remarks, since they were few, were added as footnotes, while the IFA ones needed a dedicated document.

Sexwale sent his “Consolidated” report to the Committee on the night before the Congress only to meet vehement rejection by the IFA of the whole package…

Needless to say, the FIFA Congress 2017 never saw the report, or had it presented…

Another meeting of the FIFA Monitoring Committee took place in Zurich on the 25th of July 2017 to finalize the report.

 

The PFA had no other additions on its original footnotes. 

The IFA remained adamant on its rejection of the report in its entirety

The FIFA Council met on the 27th of October in Kolkata, India. Finally, the Council listens to Sexwale’s report, it takes note of UNSC resolution 2334 and the documents of other international organizations, but elects not to be bound by them. It decide to equate the victim and perpetrator by “refrain(ing) from imposing any sanctions or other measures on either the Israel FA or the Palestinian FA” and declares the matter “closed and will not be the subject of any further discussion until the legal and/or de facto framework has changed”

With the FIFA council having taken the prerogative of the FIFA Congress unto itself,  and, having decided –on its behalf- that the issue was closed, the Palestine Football Association decided to go ta the Court for Sport Arbitration. (CAS) with the following arguments: 

 

• FIFA Council’s  decision has been taken in violation of its own statutes, mainly Article 72;
• FIFA Council’s decision is a violation of International law and International humanitarian law;
• FIFA Council has abandoned its recently affirmed commitment towards Human Rights, and its responsibilities under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;
• FIFA Council has forgotten that, in relation to Human Rights, there is no possible equidistance: One can either stand with the rights of the victims; or the conduct of the perpetrators; and, in this case, FIFA Council has elected to stand with the perpetrators;
• FIFA Council admits the existence of UNSC Resolution 2334 but don’t feel bound by it;
• (PFA) has carried on and respected its obligations as member of the FIFA Monitoring Committee. Regrettably, the other side did not;
• PFA will continue its fight for sport and football to be played under the rule of law and based on fair play and not abuse.

While the PFA's fight continues, Israeli transgressions against Palestinian sportspeople remain the only constant. The records below reflect some of them:  

• On Tuesday 24 January, 2017, around 3h00 a.m, an Israeli Army Force of about 10 soldiers broke into the house of Mustafa Hussein Sharakeh, holder of ID# 850368648, and a security employee of the Palestine Football Association.  The force, which was part of a larger incursion force into Al-Jalazoun refugee camp,  wrought havoc in the house before taking Mustafa to an unknown location. The whereabouts of  Mustafa were still unknown at the time this report was written.

• In the afternoon of Monday 10th of April, 2017,  a unit of 5 Israeli army soldiers broke into Faisal Al-Hussein stadium during a training session of Al-Ram youth. Despite the explanation by the staff that armed soldiers should not be in football facilities, the soldiers walked on, entered the offices, and went straight to the stands were they threatened the General Secretary, Omar Abu Hashiyeh, and his staff. The General Secretary was asking them to leave, when a masked trooper warned him to "remember this day". ِAfter a verbal exchange with the staff, the soldiers left without explaining the reasons for this provocation.

       

• On Tuesday, 8 August 2017, an Israeli Air force bombed a PFA mini pitch is Al-Sudaniya, Gaza. The pitch, one of 20 mini pitches financed by a FIFA Goal project in Gaza, suffered considerable damage to its turf and surrounding walls. 

• On the evening of 18 September 2017, an Israeli Army force, of 9 infantry soldiers and a Jeep, broke into the Housan pitch, located in the Housan village/Bethlehem, during the training of the local Housan club football team. The force stopped the training and detained the players and their coaches while they checked their IDs and messed with their personal belongings. The force did not state any reason for their unprovoked action which caused confusion in the vicinity and disrupted an official training.

  

• On Wednesday, October 10, a large Israeli Army force broke into the vicinity of Al-Khader pitch, near Bethlehem,  during a football training for Al-Kahader FC team. The force detained the players and interrogated them.Eye witnesses reported that the force detained players who hail from the villages of Joret Al-Shama'a, Um Tuba, and Wadi Fukeen for hours, and threatened to shoot them if they made any attempt to leave the premises. They were released later, but could not finish their training.

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     2018

• Yesterday, Thursday, December 13, during the Israeli incursion of Al-Bireh, at least three violations were committed by the Israeli occupation Army and border police  against footballers, and other sport personnel, without provocation, since these people were trying to carry on with their sport-related duties, and were insulted, detained, threatened and hindered from doing so. The first incident occurred yesterday Thursday, December 13, around 13h00, when a large army force which blockaded the vicinity of the Joseph Blatter Academy caused the cancellation of the inauguration of the youth refereeing school. Around 120 kids and their teachers were detained in the academy for hours, before they could board their  buses and be allowed to leave.

• The second incident saw the coaches of the AFC "C" coaching course, scheduled in the same Blatter Academy, being detained by the Israeli army as they were heading from their hotel to the academy, which is 7 minutes away. The army detained them for nearly an hour, took their IDs, and checked their mobile phones before they were allowed to arrive too late to their course. The incident is documented in the photos below:

          

• The third incident happened when another Israeli army force broke into the head quarters of the Palestine Olympic Committe (POC) in Al-Bireh, during a meeting of its Executive Committee. The force, composed of four Military armored vehicles, surrounded the building around 19h00 in the evening of the same day, and prevented anyone from entering or leaving the premises.
  The soldiers physically assaulted the staff and EXCO members, and locked them in a small room while they wrought havoc in the offices for about 30 minutes, and then departed.
  
  
  A video of the incident can also be watched in the url: https://youtu.be/_63RDj5o568