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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     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

         

CHAPTER V: Israeli Transgressions against Palestinian Sports : A new FIFA Monitoring Committee chaired by GLOBAL WATCH Figure, Sexwale (FIFA 66th Congress May 2016 in Mexico City)

CHAPTER V: Israeli Transgressions against Palestinian Sports (Football in particular) : A new FIFA Monitoring Committee chaired by GLOBAL WATCH Figure, Sexwale:

Will it work this time around?

The FIFA 66th Congress, held in  May 2016 in Mexico City, was presided over by the new FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, who had vowed to solve the Palestine-Israel football dispute.

 Mr. Infantino was either misinformed, or overconfident, because the year, in which a solution was supposed to be reached, was spent by Sexwale in trying to deal with the clever Israeli procrastination tactics that he was hardly able set the framework for the work of the committee in a way that would enable it to address the 3 main points in the Palestinian amendment of their original suspension proposal.

Sexwale produced a report on the Monitoring Committee’s work. The report was optimistic in saying that there was a "minor progress" in the movement issue, but there was still much more work to be done on the settlement clubs issue. It was the diplomatic way to report that the Israel Football Association (IFA) wanted the issue out of the agenda.


Both FIFA’s new President Gianni Infantino and Tokyo Sexwale declared their sesolve to to solve the settlement clubs issue, before the FIFA Council meeting on 13-14 October 2016.

The settlements' clubs issue started to draw international interest. International Organizations started writing to the Monitoring Committee and to FIFA urging for an application of the statutes on the matter of the settlement clubs:

• Jewish Voice for Peace asked FIFA to “Ban teams from settlements in occupied Palestine from competing in Israel’s League”

• European Jews for a Just Peace argued that “IFA either remove the settlement football teams from its membership, or have its own membership of FIFA suspended”

• The Arab American Institute urged FIFA to “not allow these settlement teams to be members if they remain based in occupied territory” 

• The Platforme des ONG Francaises asked FIFA to “to apply its own Statutes, urging the Israeli football league to stop its activities in the settlements.”

• The Russel Tribunal said that with Israel’s total disregard of UN resolutions “ It would be a mockery of  FIFA's Mission and Statutes if an Israeli city were awarded the status of hosting games…”

• Members of the European Parliament urged FIFA “to act in accordance with FIFA Statutes, international law, the existing precedents and FIFA’s human rights commitments. On this basis, FIFA should rule that settlement clubs either fully relocate within Israel’s internationally recognized borders or are excluded from the Israeli Football Association.”

• The Kerem Navot urged FIFA “not to accept football clubs that play on stolen land as member associations, and to suspend the participation of those that violate its rules and regulations.” 

• Human Rights Watch issued a comprehensive report on the 26th of September 2016 affirming that “By allowing the IFA to hold matches inside settlements, FIFA is engaging in business activity that supports Israeli settlements, contrary to the human rights commitments it recently affirmed”. The report concludes by saying:  “This problem has one solution: FIFA should tell the IFA clubs to practice, pass, and play all you want – but only inside Israel.”

• The Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary General on Sports for Development and Peace said that “The United Nations Security Council has determined that Israeli settlements in occupied territory have no legal validity, as they are in breach of international law…I therefore urge a resolution of any disputes in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions and FIFA Statutes within a reasonable timeframe.  

Mr. Sexwale visited Palestine and Israel on the 1st of July, 2016. The chairman of the Monitoring Committee himself was unnecessarily detained for about 40 minutes on the Erez checkpoint (between Gaza and the West Bank) as he made his way out of Gaza. As a result, he was 30- minutes late for his meeting with the Israeli minister of Sports, who refused to see him because of the delay!

Later on the same day, as he was trying to cross from Israel to Palestine for a meeting with H.E. the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbass, scheduled at 22h00, Mr. Sexwale was deferred from 2 checkpoints, and crossed the third one almost by a miracle. The Palestinian President met him, nonetheless, despite being 2 hours late.

In spite of Sexwale’s efforts to hold a meeting of the Monitoring Committee in September ahead of the Council, this did not happen because the IFA said they were not available to meet.

The FIFA Council met on the 14th of October 2016. The FIFA Monitoring Committee’s report was tabled under ‘Any other matters” in the agenda of the meeting, and neither a decision, nor a report by sexwale were made. Sexwale admitted that he was “already playing in the extra time” but asked for more time nonetheless. Thus a decision was postponed to the next Council meeting on 9-10 January 2017.

The FIFA Monitoring Committee was finally able to hold a meeting on 1 November, 2016 to discuss the settlements' clubs issues. While the position of the Palestine FA came in tandem with the United Nations resolutions, and the FIFA statutes, the position of the Israeli FA was in negation: 

The PFA:

• Referred to article 72.2 of the FIFA Statutes (no member association can administer football in the territory of another member association)

• International community, several UN resolutions and the international Court of Justice (2004) determined that the territories in question are Palestinian. 

• a "Crimea solution”* could be accepted.

The IFA:

• 5 clubs are located in “Area C", under full political and military control of Israel until the final and permanent agreement between both parties is negotiated.

•  “the UN resolutions do not support the claim made by the PFA regarding the territories in question”. 

• In relation to his letter, Wilfred Lemke, The Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, does not have enough authority to give an opinion on the matter.

If Lemke’s letter did not possess “enough authority”, UN Resolution 2334 on the 23rd of December 2016 gave everyone the answer they have been waiting for on Israel’s settlement policy, stating beyond any doubt that it “constitutes a flagrant violation of international law“. It clearly defines Palestinian territories as the territories occupied by Israel after the 1967 war, including east Jerusalem, and states that all measures including construction and expansion of settlements, transfer of Israeli settlers, confiscation of land, demolition of homes and displacement of Palestinian civilians in said territories are in violation of international humanitarian law, Israel's obligation as the occupying Power according to the Fourth Geneva Convention, and previous resolutions.

The FIFA Monitoring Committee failed to meet again before the Council’s meeting in on 9 January, 2017, again due to Israeli delays and postponement.

The FIFA Council met on the 9th of January, 2017, and Sexwale presented his report, but no decision was taken. He asked -yet again - for more time, and the council gave the Monitoring Committee a month to meet and present a final report. FIFA President Infantino made a statement to the Press disclosing that he expected a final report within one month.

The Committee did not meet in a month. Sexwale proposed the next (and supposedly final meeting) of the FIFA Monitoring committee for late February, or early March. Yet, the IFA said these dates were not suitable and pushed the meeting to the 22nd of March, 2017.

Mr. Sexwale presented his draft report in which he outlined 3 possible solutions for the settlement clubs’ Issue:

1. Maintenance of the current Status Quo, which he warned will put FIFA in opposition to international legitimacy.
2. FIFA warns IFA with a “yellow card” to rectify the issue by desisting from administering football in Palestinian territories.
3. PFA and IFA to be encouraged to find a mutually agreed solution, an option which he warned will be futile

While the IFA was buying time, the Israeli occupation continued to harrass and hinder sports with added impunity. Below are records of  some of the violations that happened in 2016:

• On 10 Feb, 2016, The Palestine National Team, traveling to Algiers for a friendly match, was detained for about two hours on the Al-Karamah/Allenby border without any explanation. The incident was reported to the FIFA Monitoring Committeee and the IFA, who confirmed the detainment, added it happened for "Security reasons".It maybe worth mentioning that delays of Palestinian Teams and Palestine FA personnel have become more common recently. The writer of this blog was detained on her way back from Jordan a few days before this incident, on 7 Feb. After one hour of waiting, she was led to the security office on Allenby, thoroughly searched, and then "interviewed" by an intelligence officer before being allowed to go on her way. It also happened to Raed Amro, one of the Palestine FA media officers, who was interrogated in the same manner by an intelligence officer.

• On Feb 23, 2016, a Palestine FA delegation was passing through the Al-Karamah/Allenby border to travel to Queen Alia Airport, and from there to Zurich for the FIFA Congress and election's. The PFA President, General Rajoub, was accompanied by his assistant, Ihsan Mikdadi. One of the female employees, on the tax desk on the border, accused Ihsan of giving her fake currency (200 NIS) and detained him. Ihsan said he was sure he did not, because he had just withdrawn the money from the bank, so it could not be fake. He asked her to check the cameras in the booth, but she claimed she could not operate them. The police came and said the same, but the lady said she was not sure if it was recorded. The writer of this blog, who was a few meters away when it happened, could see that the cameras were well placed in an angle and in a way that enables them to record the transaction. the incident was reported to the FIFA monitoring committee. The IFA re-told the tax office lady's story, apparently as told to them. Ihsan was detained for 3 hours and then released. Had the detainment taken much longer, the delegation could have missed their flight. Until this report was written, in April, no further charges were forwarded against Ihsan.

• On 3 March, 2016, footballer Fadi Shareef, born 8/1/1997, and a player in the Hilal club in Gaza,  was arrested  at the Beit Hanoun checkpoint as he was returning from Al-Maqasid hospital in Jerusalem, having undergone an operation in his knee. Until this report was written, nothing is known about any charges.

• On 5 March, 2016 around 1:30 a.m, player Sami Daour, 27 years old, and holder of ID# 801158361 was arrested by an Israeli Army Force from his residence in the city of Hebron. Sami, who plays for Al-Samou' club,  is a resident of Gaza, and has been residing in Hebron with a valid permit ending on 7 March, 2016. He was interrogated for one week under the accusation of aiding in a "terrorist activity in Jerusalem". He was found to be innocent of any connections to said activity, but, since his permit had expired, he was deported to Gaza, and his club failed to renew his permit.

• On 11 April, 2016 around 16:00, The Omani "Uruba Club" arrived at the Al-Kharamah/Allenby Crossing point on their way to Palestine for an official AFC Cup match. According to the Deputy Chairman of the club, Mr. Ahmad Al-Areimi, and the Team's Physician, Dr. Khalid Al-Sayyid, a number of the club's players and officials were detained by Israeli occupation authorities for about 6 hours. The Israeli authorities never stated any reasons for the detainment. The team was allowed to cross at 22:00                      

• On 28 April, 2016 around 12:30 p.m, a temporary Israeli Army post on a building behind the “separation wall”, opposite the PFA headquarters,  threw a  few  gaz canisters in the vicinity of the PFA that caused the employees who were there and inhaled that gaz to get sick.

        

• On 24 May, 2016, around 17h00, an Israeli Border guard Force broke into Faisal Al-Husaini stadium, and the Head Quarters of the Palestine Football Association, located in Al-Ram. The soldiers interrogated the evening shift employees and security, and roamed the HQ and stadium facilities under the pretext of looking for "stone throwers". The officer in charge threatened one employee and accused the staff of hiding stone-throwing kids. Having found nothing in the premises, they left.

             

              

                                      

• On Sunday, 26 June, 2016, at atound 9:48 a.m, an Israeli army jeep stopped the vehicle of the Deputy Director of international Relations in the Palestine Football association,  Husam Alhussein, ID# 410240519. Husam  was heading from Nablus to the office in Al-Ram when he was detained near the Sarrah/Kadoumim junction checkpoint Near Nablus. The soldiers thoroughly searched the car and Husam's phone and confiscated a stick he had in the vehicle. They then took him aside and placed him in a small concrete block enclosure in the nearby outpost for several hours, during which they traded humiliating posturing around him, including urinating in the spot where he was detained. He was released after a few hours.

• On Tuesday, the 16th of August 2016, Al-Fawwar FC’s player Mohammad Yousef Saber Abu Hashhash, 18 years old,  was shot  by an Israeli sniper during a  house-to-house incursion of Al-Fawwar refugee camp. Abu Hashhash, who has been training for the season,  was in his family house when the incursion started at 3h00 a.m. The Israeli army had forcefully seized a house across the street from the player’s house, which they used as a post, while locking up the residents in one of the rooms. By 14h30, the soldiers were still shooting live bullets and tear gas from their outpost, and Mohammad, concerned for the health of his elderly grandmother, went to her adjacent house to close the windows. He was heading back to his house, which stands wall to wall to his grandmother’s, when an Israeli sniper, positioned at one of the windows of the seized house, shot him in the back, from a short distance, killing him instantly. According to eye witnesses, Mohammad was targeted and killed without justification. He was shot in the vicinity of his house without any provocation. A fact supported by the report of the coroners in Al-Ahli hospital, who confirmed he was walking when the sniper’s bullet went through his back straight to his heart and killed him.

• On Friday the 26th of August, at around 18:45, An Israeli army force broke into the vicinity of the PFA, just 10 minutes into the second half of the Abu Ammar Semi-Final match between Shabab Al Dahriya, and Markaz Balata, in Faisal Al-Hussein Stadium.  The soldiers, who claimed a stone was thrown at them, started shooting tear Gaz canisters unto the pitch and stands, which resulted in 5 cases of serious suffocation and 6 injuries with Sound bomb shrapnel, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The match had, of course, to be stopped, and the premises evacuated. According to eye witnesses, and the stadium security, there was no provocation of any kind that called for such a brutal episode. The videos and photos clearly attest to the fact that the Israeli army's provocative action was inexplicable, and uncalled for.

       

• On Saturday 27 August, 2016, between 12h00-13h00, an Israeli Army force, of about 20 soldiers, accompanied by assault dogs, broke into the Beita Football Club head quarters. The force conducted a thorough search of all the rooms, took photos, and confiscated the DVR device used for the surveillance cameras of the building.

• On Tuesday 30 August, 2016, an Israeli Police force physically assaulted 5 players from the Burj Al-Laqlaq foundation, as they were leaving the pitch of the foundation, located  in Bab Hitta/East Jerusalem. The 5 players were in their sport outfits when they were assaulted. The names of these players are: Ahmad Halawani, Awni Sae'id, Mohammad Sae'ida, Ahmad Salaymah, and Ehab Tebiya. Halawani and Sae'ida were sent to the hospital after this assault, having sustained injuries that needed medical attention.

• On Friday 23 September, 2016, around 13h30, an Israeli Armed Force broke into Shabab Al-Khalil Football Club, located in Bab Al-Zawyeh, in the city of Hebron. Eye witnesses reported that there had been clashes between Israeli Forces and Palestinian unarmed protesters in the vicinity. The club staff (about 30 persons) were busy with their football activities when some windows of the club were shattered by Israeli gunshots. The Israeli Force then locked the entrance of the club and started shooting teargas canisters inside. 30 persons were trapped inside under heavy shooting of teargas, which resulted in several suffocations. Two persons, Alaa Amer, and Zuhair Abdelraouf Al-Jaabari were hospitalized for serious injuries at Al-Ahli Hospital.

• On Wednesday 28 September 2016, around 13h30, an Israeli Police Special Force seriously injured Jabal Al-Zaytoon Football Club player Mohammad Khweis. Mohammad was at the entrance of his club when a member of the force shot a sound bomb at his head without any provocation, according to eyewitnesses. Mohammad was taken to the ICU in Al-Maqasid hospital.

• On Friday 18 November, 2016 Israeli Army Forces shot live bullets at unarmed protesters east of Al-Breij refugee camp, Gaza. Nadi Khadamat Al-Breij player, Mohammad Abu Saada, 26 years old, and holder of ID#802977652 was shot in the chest, and died immediately.

CHAPTER IV: Israeli Transgressions against Palestinian Sports. Mechanism reaches a dead end (FIFA 65th Congress May 2015 in Zurich)

CHAPTER IV:  Israeli Transgressions against Palestinian Sports. Mechanism reaches a dead end (FIFA 65th Congress May 2015 in Zurich) 

By: Susan Shalabi

Introduction:

The FIFA Task Force mechanism, an attempt by FIFA to ease the suffering of Palestinian football, was started after the FIFA 63rd Congress in Mauritius in June 2013, when the congress voted to give FIFA President Mr. Joseph Blatter a mandate to address the complaints raised by the Palestine Football Association regarding its inability to develop the game of football because of the Israeli occupation . It was reviewed in the following FIFA Congress in Sao Paulo, in June 2014.The FIFA congress had heard the report of FIFA President Sepp Blatter on the mechanism  (involving both the Palestine and Israel Associations), and had unanimously voted in a proposal by the President to develop the mechanism and try to fix its many shortcomings. A neutral monitor was appointed after the FIFA 64th Congress with a mission to oversee the proceedings of communication between the parties involved, and make sure FIFA intervenes to address any issues that may arise. The monitor presented both his report and resignation to the FIFA Executive committee in December 2014, and the Task Force reached a dead end. 

So, Why did the Mechanism not produce any viable change?

1- The Israel Football Association (IFA) continued to assume the position of the Israeli political and military authorities, as reflected in:

•  The demand by the IFA, sent in a letter to FIFA on 25 August 2013 that “the Palestine Football Association MUST operate through the formal channels of the state of Israel” is a serious violation of Article 17-1 of the FIFA statutes that  clearly states that “Each Member shall manage its affairs independently and with no influence from third parties.”

• The absence of a stance by the IFA against its government’s policy to hinder the development of Palestinian football, which makes it extremely difficult for the PFA to benefit from the rights and carry on the obligations stipulated in articles 12-1/d-e, 13-b and 13-e of the FIFA statutes.

 2- The IFA continues to organize football official activities in areas under the jurisdiction of another association:

including allowing clubs in illegal Israeli colonies located in internationally recognized Palestinian territories (as per UN Security Council resolutions  (S/RES/242) and (S/RES/338), and UN General Assembly resolution (A/RES/67/19) to play, and be registered, in the Israel FA league, which constitutes a violation of articles 10-1, 13-1/i and 17-1 of the FIFA statutes.

3- The absence of a stance by the IFA, against discrimination and racism, in the areas under its jurisdiction, which constitutes direct violation of article 3 of the FIFA statutes:

• “Beitar Jerusalem FC” which is an Israeli professional football club from Jerusalem, and a member of the Israeli Premier League, continues to embrace racism, unchecked. Eli Cohen, The manager of the club, had told Israel’s Ynet that “There’s a difference, and it makes a difference, between a European Muslim and an Arab Muslim and the fans here have a problem with Arabs living in the Middle East.” The racism of said club was reported by an ESPN documentary; yet, no serious measures were taken against the club.

• Only in Israeli soccer can a club block Arabs from joining its ranks, and harsh violence is treated solely as a disciplinary infraction, to be handled by the Israel Football Association’s internal court.

It was clear to everybody that the mechanism was a failure. Palestinian football still suffered the same hindering difficulties: 

1.  Limitations of movement for players within the West Bank.
2. Impossibility for the PFA clubs established in East-Jerusalem, notably two of the Palestinian Premier League clubs, to develop their activities and play at home.
3. Limitations of movement for PFA officials (for ex. Executive Committee members) and players between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, in particular for the players selected for the Palestinian national team who cannot join training camps, play in their clubs in the Palestinian Premier League and face arrest upon returning from international football competitions.
4. Issuance of permits for foreign delegations based on arbitrary decisions (for ex. permits issued excluding some players or the coach of a team without any explanation, permits issued only on the day of the competition, permits refused for referees and match delegates, etc…).
5. Humiliating treatment at the border by the relevant Israeli authorities to both Palestinian players/officials and foreign delegations, including FIFA, AFC, and EUFA officials  (for ex. delayed authorization to cross even when the permits have been issued, aggressive and harassing questioning, etc…).
6. Violent acts by Israeli security forces during football matches (for ex. stoppage of matches, training sessions, arrests) and/or closure of clubs without explanation including in areas under the authority of the Palestinian National Authority.

The Palestine Football Association (PFA) decided it has had enough, and thus had elected it had no other choice but to ask for a suspension of the Israel Football Association from FIFA based on three issues: 

• Israeli restrictions on the movement of Palestinian players and equipment
• Israeli Football Association (IFA) was organizing football activities on the territory of the PFA.
• IFA’s lack of action against racism in its football

Once the knowledge of PFA's proposal became public, the Israeli government formed its own "internal" task force to countermand the proposal, and bring it to an end, putting into use its arsenal of political influence and employing its diplomatic channels; President's of influential associations and confederations were visited by Israeli diplomats trying, on one hand, to convince them the proposal was a "political issue that should not be handled by the global football governing body", and waving the "anti-semitism" threat when the first option failed.

There were, however those public opinion groups and human rights activists who refused to buy into the Israeli claims and were actively campaigning  not only to suspend IFA, but to kick Israel out of football, as had been the case with Apartheid South Africa.

Even two days before the congress, the atmosphere was almost toxic. FIFA's President Blatter already had a huge internal problem to face beside the tens of Israeli government officials who had infiltrated the grounds of the congress and were lobbying the delegates; or the hundreds of human rights activists who were besieging the grounds of the Congress demanding that Israel faces justice.

Blatter had the Presidential elections to worry about, and so did those who  wanted him saved and those who wanted to witness his demise.

The wheel of Fortuna was moving out of proportion; none of the football world tycoons seemed to take interest in the plight of the Palestinians as Fortuna was threatening to toss all up, down and about. The Palestinians had to quickly devise a plan "b' to safeguard their rights, and keep the "big guys" interested in finding a solution to the problems.


Following advice from the Presidents of all the Confederations, and other football prominent figures, the PFA proposal was amended where suspension was "suspended" from the proposal, in return for a promise that the Congress be asked to vote on the amendment that demands a neutral committee be formed by the Congress to handle all three grievances presented in the original proposal, and that proper disciplinary measures be taken within a specific time-frame against the party that does not comply. 

And while the Palestine FA agreed to these terms for the sake of keeping the peace, and giving FIFA yet another chance to solve the problem, the vote turned into a poorly orchestrated fiasco that people interested in sport politics will not soon forget:

Despite all the attempts to "ditch" the issue, The 65th Congress agreed, by an overwhelming majority as set out in its approved minutes, and with the agreement of the IFA,  that the  "FIFA Monitoring Committee Palestine-Israel", chaired by Tokyo Sexwale, be mandated by the FIFA 65th Congress to cover the three issues, but “would not handle political or territorial matters” pending an answer on “the issue of territory” which “should be decided by the United Nations”. 

Several meeting were held, much legal paperwork exchanged, and a lot of time wasted while the IFA procrastinated in an attempt to obscure the directives of  the committee and downplay its mandate. 

It was the right time for ambiguity; FIFA and the world of football were all busy with the FBI crackdown on FIFA officials. Football tycoons had more up-close and personal problems in their laps than could fit the  added problems of the Palestinians. They had voted in a committee, and this committee had one long year to sort things out until they re-formed their alliances.  

This report records the transgressions committed by the Israeli occupation during that year. Clearly, not much has changed:                            

• On Wednesday, January 15, 2015 at 3:30 a.m, an Israeli occupation force arrested Mu'ayad Walid Ibrahim Tumar, 22 years old, holder of ID# ‎(520314139), and a football player of Beit Ummar Football Club.‎ The Israeli force raided Mu'ayad's house in Beit Ummar village, south of Palestine, and arrested him under the pretext of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli occupation troops. ‎Mu'ayad is still imprisoned pending trial.         

• On Sunday, February 2 , 2015 at 3:30 am, an Israeli Armed Force arrested player Walid Abdullah Qasim Manasra,  30 years old , holder ID # (410 235 857), and player in Bani N’eim sports club .The Force had besieged the house of Walid’s father, Abdulla Qassem Manasra, taking Walid by force to Etzion Prison for interrogation. An Israeli intelligence officer who identified himself as “Yossi” spoke to Walid’s father by phone, afterwards, and informed him that his son Walid is in Etzion prison.Walid, who is married and father to a son and three daughters, was accused of throwing stones at Israeli forces, and until the moment this report was written, he hasn’t been tried. ⁽⁰¹⁴⁾ 

                                                     

• On Wednesday 11 February, 2015 at 2:30 a.m, an Israeli occupation army force arrested Muhammad Ayman Muhammad Ikhleil, 21 years old, holder of  ID# (854181260), and a football player registered in Beit Ummar Football club. The Israeli occupation forces surrounded Ikhliel's house in Beit Ummar village, south of Palestine , and arrested him for a consecutive third time under the pretext of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli occupation troops. Ikhleil was arrested for the first time on the 7th of August, 2011 and sentenced to one- month and 14 days jail time. He was released on September 21, 2011 before he was arrested again on September 10, 2012 and sentenced to eight-month jail time under the same previous pretext. He has been charged of a total fines of NIS 6000 ($1500). 

                                   
      

• On Wednesday, February 2, 2015 at 3:55 am, an Israeli Armed Force arrested Ex-player Salem Mohammed Mahmoud Taraarh, 47 years old, holder of ID# (911655918), and Ex-Member of the board of Bani N'eim Youth Club. Salem was taken by force from his house in the village of Bani N’eim, and was charged with throwing stones at Israeli troops. He was sentenced by the military court in Ofer camp with 7-month imprisonment and a fine of 2000 NIS (521 $). After his sentence, he was transferred from Ofer prison to Raymon prison, and His family was not allowed to visit him. ⁽⁰¹⁵⁾

• On Sunday, February, 8, 2015 An Israeli occupation force arrested Yousef Muhammad Mahmaoud Al-Sheikh, football player of Beit 'Anan Club, 21 years old and holder of ID No# (860053990). He has not been charged, and his trial has been postponed four times already. ⁽⁰²⁰⁾            

• On Tuesday, 28 April, 2015 at 3:15 am, an Israeli Armed Force arrested player Muhammad Abed AL Fatah Arar, 18 years old, holder of ID# (854181260), and a football player of Beit Ummar Football club (juniors). The Israeli force surrounded Muhanad’s house in Bani N’eim, a village, east of Hebron, and arrested him under the pretext of throwing stones at Israeli occupation troops. Muhanad is still in prison pending trial. He was taken to Etzion encampment -south of Bethlehem.

       Worthy of note is that his arrest has caused Muhammad Arar, a High                  School student, to miss his GCE (General Certificate Exam).(011)
         

• On Sunday, May 4, 2015 at 3:30 a.m., an Israeli armed force arrested Abdelrahman Khaled Khader Hmeidat , 25 years old, holder of ID# ‎(852931773), and a football player of Bani Ne’im FC.‎ The Force arrested Abdelrahman from his place of work in Israel, and took him to Ashkelon prison for a 40-days interrogation. He was transferred between Ofer camp and Raymon, before he was taken to Eshel prison. The military court in Ofer charged him with “incitement against the State of Israel”, and sentenced him, on March 23, 2015, a 32-months imprisonment and a fine of 2000 NIS  (521 $).  Abdelrahman was injured during his arrest, due to excessive violence by the Israeli army force which made the arrest. He was treated in captivity, and is currently detained in Eshel Prison. (013)

   

• On Monday, May 11th 2015 An Israeli occupation armed force shot AL-Amari youth club fencer Rafet Abu Lebdah, 17 years old and holding ID No. (404113698). Eye witnesses confirmed that there were no clashes in the area when Rafat was shot in his left leg. The fencer himself swore that he was on his way from school to pick up his cousins when he was shot.  The injury left him unable to fence, or even walk, for a long time. 

• On 21 May 2015, just as the solution (suggested by the Israeli goverment to Mr. Blatter) to give VIP treatment for Palestinian players was being put on the scale, the Israeli occupation tipped said scales by detaining player Sameh Maraaba for three hours on the border with Jordan. Maraaba was heading for Tunisia with the national team when this incident happened. Team members said that only by the team's refusal to leave without their player that Maraaba was finally allowed to travel. 

• On Wednesday September 2, 2015, at around 16h00,  an  Israeli intelligence Force arrested footballer Omar ramzi Omar za`anin  ,15 years old, and holder of ID #(211598453 ). Omar is the goalkeeper of the Palestine U16 national team, and was arrested in the old city of Jerusalem, in the vicinity of "Bab Al-Sahera". He was then transferred to the detention center of Al-Masqubiyah (Russian Compound). This was the 7th time Omar got arrested. He was charged with "inciting to violence in Al-Aqsa" before he was released at 2h00 the following day and sentenced to be "denied entry to Al-Aqsa Mosque for two successive months, with 6 months if he failed to carry out the sentence".(018)

• On Friday  September 4 ,2015 at around 9:00 p.m., A group of Israelis settlers (estimated at 5 people, according to eye witnesses), attacked referees Abdel Noor Mohammed Abdel Jabber Khaled, 52  years old, citizen of Jayyous, and holder of ID #(997405352); and Rashid Ismail Mahmoud Radwan, 49 years old, citizen of Azzun, and holder of ID #(964390058). The attack took place near the settlement of “Carneh Shomron”, near the city of Tulkarm, while both referees were driving back from a 1st division match in which they had officiated in Al- Fara’a. 

       The settlers attacked the vehicle with stones and iron pipes, seriously                endangering the lives of its passengers. The stones and popes shattered            the front windshield, and front mirrors, which in turn led to the injury of            referee Rashid Radwan, who was hit by the glass shrapnel. (037)

• 
  

  On Wednesday, September 30, 2015, at around 4:00, an Israeli Occupation Army Force arrested Mustafa Abdellatif Mohammed Dar Tahir, 17 years old, holder of ID NO. # (402672893), and player of the U19 National team. The Israeli force (composed of three military jeeps and a large van, according to witnesses) surrounded Mustafa’s house in the city of Al-Bireh. The force, led by an officer who identified himself as Captain Yahia, broke into the house, vandalizing its contents, before they handcuffed and blindfolded Mustafa, then placed him under arrest. The Israeli Captain said the charges were “throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the Israeli army troops”. Mustafa is now detained at Al- Jalama prison (Jenin), pending trial on Thursday (10.15.2015). (035)

                                                                                       

• On 8 October 2015, the Palestinian Olympic team was heading back to Palestine from Qatar after participating in the WAFF Qualifiers, via Al-Karamah crossing (King Hussein bridge).   At around 19h30 the team (24 players and 8 Officials) arrived at the border. Procedures took about an hour and the team checked out safe for the team striker Mahmoud Wadi, a resident of Gaza, who was asked,at around 20h30, to sit aside.
• Islam Abu Mukaddam, the team Manager,  remained in the hall waiting for the player while the rest of the team cleared customs and waited outside. The Civil Ministry and DCO were informed but nothing happened. The team waited until 23h00, when Islam asked them to leave and said he will wait with the Mahmoud.
• Having been sitting so long waiting with the player, Islam was approached by armed security personnel in civilian clothes, (there were 5 of them around). One of them, a tall man wearing a sport shirt and jeans, told him he has to leave the hall and check out customs, and that he cannot wait inside. Islam tried to tell him he is waiting with his player who does not know whether he will be allowed to enter and not, and that -as manager of the team- he cannot leave without being certain of the well being of his player or whether he needed anything. The tall security guy was shouting and did not want to listen while Islam was asking him to just listen to him. He slapped him across the face then the other 4 came. The tall guy shoved him, and the group sent his bag through the scan machine and to the customs hall.  One bald guy wearing a golden chain around his neck came about. Islam says this guy looked as the one in charge so he tried to talk with him to no avail. Islam just wanted to give his player phone numbers and some money in case he was returned to Jordan.
• At around 11:20 an army officer approached Islam, as the writer of this blog was speaking with him on the phone, and asked him what happened, and he reported what he has told the writer minutes before. He was then informed that Mahmoud Wadi was denied entry and that he had to go back to Jordan.

• On Monday, October, 12, 2015, at around 5:00 a.m., an Israeli Armed Force arrested player Mohammed Khalil Saeed Sarhan, 19 years old. The Israeli force, (estimated at 20 soldiers by an eye witnesses) surrounded Mohammad’s house in Al-Thawri neighborhood in east Jerusalem and arrested him under the pretext of “throwing stones and damaging Jewish vehicles”. The force took Mohammad for interrogation at Dahiyat Al-Barid Centre and informed him he will be summoned “should he carry out any acts against Israel” and that he “will be then arrested and fined an estimated value of (50000) NIS”. Mohammad was later released on the same day at 18h00. (036)

• On Monday, October, 12, 2015, at around 5:00, an Israeli Armed Police Force arrested player Mohammed Khalil Saeed Sarhan, 19 years old. The Israeli force, (estimated at 20 soldiers by eye witnesses) surrounded Mohammad’s house in Al-Thawri neigbourhood in east Jerusalem and arrested him under the pretext of “throwing stones and damaging Jewish vehicles”. The force took Mohammad for interrogation at Dahiyat Al-Barid Centre and informed him he will be summoned “should he carry out any acts against Israel” and that he “will be then arrested and fined an estimated value of (50000) NIS”. Mohammad was later released on the same day at 18h00. (036)

• On 13 October, 2015 , former Palestine National Women's Team player Hamama Jamil Jorban was arrested by the Israeli authorities in her hometown of Jesr Al-Zarqa. She was interrogated about some facebook posts she made protesting racism and Israeli atrocities in Al-Aqsa. She was released later on the same day.

• On Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at around 10:00 a.m , a “Captain Ravi” of Israeli  intelligence, contacted Mr. Hamdi  Baker Ibrahim, resident of Qalandia refugee camp, via telephone, and informed him to bring his son, the National team equipment manager Ibrahim Hamdi  Baker Ibrahim,  holder of ID# (860 086 305), 21 years old,  to the Ofer military camp for interrogation. The said Captain said Ibrahim will be questioned and then released. Ibrahim did as he was asked, but he was, nonetheless, arrested when he went to Ofer, allegedly on charges of "acts of terrorism against the State of Israel". He was put to trial on Nov 18,     2015, which was postponed to Nov 26, 2015. The court acquitted Ibrahim and fined him 3,000 NIS. Though the Israeli prosecutor appealed the decision, Ibrahim was released one week after the last trial, on the condition that he pay the fine, which he did. However, he was contacted     after, to appear before the military court on December 1 2015, a date which was later postponed to Dec 26 2015.(038)

• On Tuesday, October 27, 2015, at around 5:00 a.m., a joint Israeli Force of Border Guards and Israeli Intelligence (estimated at 30 military vehicles according to eye witnesses) arrested player Abdullah Nabil Noah Da`ana, 23 years old and holder of ID#(204715031).

       The Force surrounded Abdullah’s house and arrested him under the pretext        of “throwing stones at Israeli soldiers". The force took Abdullah to the                detention center of Al-Masqubiyah (Russian Compound), where he was            charged with the above accusation and sentenced to home detention for 5          days and the payment of a 1000 NIS (250 USD) fine.  

       Abdullah was released on Thursday October29, 2015 at 17h00. (039)

• On Thursday, ‎ October 30, 2015 at 2:00 a.m, an Israeli Armed Force arrested player Bashir Muhammad Abdullah Mukhtar, a midfielder in Dora Al-Qari' FC, 23 years, old and holder of ID No # (853934685). Bashir was arrested from his home under the pretext of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Beit El Israeli settlement, near Ramallah. He is still imprisoned. (025)

• On Thursday, November 5, 2015, at around 16:30, An Israeli army soldier shot Shabab Al-Khalil FC’s Youth team player Hazem Jawad Azmi Al-Khatib, 16 years old, and holder of ID No.# (404720591). Hazem happened to be in Bab Al-Zawyeh, in Hebron, when clashes broke out. He was shot with live ammunition in his left foot, and stayed for 4 days under supervision in the Alia Hospital in Hebron (041)

       

• On Tuesday, November 10, 2015, at around 1:30 p.m., an Israeli armed force (estimated by eye witnesses at 20 military vehicles and 150-200 soldiers) arrested the sport supervisor, and Board Member of Islami Qalqiliya Sports Club, Adnan Abdel Nasser Arafat Rabbi, 45 years old, and holder of ID #(946857653). 

       The force took Adnan from his house in Kfar Saba (inside Israel and close        to the Palestinian city of Qalqiliya), after blasting the doors, and messing          up the contents of the house. 

       Adnan was taken by force to Megiddo prison, and remains there without          trial, though he was informed he would be tried on November 18, 2015.            (40)

• On Tuesday, November 10, 2015, at around 2:30 p.m., an Israeli army force (estimated at 30-40 soldiers by eye witnesses) arrested Islami Qalqiliya FC’s player, Obada Farah Rubin Samhan, 22 years old, and holder of ID# (853870376) from his house in Qalqiliya. After blasting the doors, messing up the house, confiscating computers and mobiles, Obada was forcefully taken to Al-Jalama prison, and a trial has been set on December 11, 2015 (44)

• On Wednesday November 11, 2015, at around 15:30, an Israeli army force shot Thakafi Al-Bireh FC’s player Omar Akram Jobran Rjoub, 14 years old, and holder of ID # (406865998)

      Omar, also a player in the Joseph Blatter Academy, was shot in his left           leg during clashes with Israeli forces at the Beit El military post near                 Ramallah. He remained in hospital for 4 days. (042)

  

• On Sunday, November 12, 2015, at around 14.30, Israeli Army Forces fired tear gaz canisters in the premises of Al-Khadr Stadium, near the city of Bethlehem, during a match between Al-Bireh FC and Jabal Al-Mukabber FC, in the final round of the Semi-Professional League.

      The match was postponed due to the heavy levels of concentration of tear         gaz in the premises which was decided as life threatening to football players       (043)

        
                                                                                           

• On Thursday, November 19, 2015, at around 2:00 p.m., A joint Israeli army and intelligence force, (estimated at 6 military jeeps and 30 soldiers) arrested player Hussam Imad Theeb Qarakrah, 16 years old, and holder of ID No.# (405001157) . The force arrested Hussam from his house in Al-Balou’ neighborhood, in Al-Bireh.

       An intelligence officer, who identified himself as “Captain Yahiya”                   threatened Hussam that he’ll “wipe that smile off his face”. Hussam is still          in Ofer prison, near Beituniya. (045)

• On Tuesday, ‎ December 2, 2015, at 2:00 a.m., an Israeli occupation armed force arrested Naseem Muhammad Abdullah Mukhtar, player of Dora Al-Qari' FC, 21 years old, and holder of ID No # (85002473). Naseem was arrested from his house under the pretext of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the Beit El Israeli settlement near Ramallah. He is still imprisoned. (026)

• On Thursday,‎ December 4, 2015 at 2:30 a.m, an Israeli Armed Force arrested Dora Al-Qari' FC’s player Muhammad Subhi Hamdan, 20 years old, and holder of ID No #(948356209). Muhammad was arrested from his house under the pretext of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the Israeli occupation troops. He is still imprisoned. (024)

• The Palestine FA submitted a permit request (Southern Governorates to Northern Governorates) for Mr. Ibrahim Abu Salim (PFA Vice President) on December 7, 2015. The Isareali DCO answer was an OK with the condition that Mr. Abu Salim go through an interrogation at the Erez Checkpoint on the date of his entry (12/9/2015 at 9h00 a.m). Mr. Abu Salim waited at the Erez checkpoint from 9h00 until 11h00 a.m, only to be informed that he is being turned back to Gaza and denied entry, without any explanation.

       It maybe worth mentioning that Mr. Abu Salim has been moving between          Gaza and the West Bank without issues until this incident.                                                              

(The writer would like to acknowledge the help of Ms. Majd Hijjeh who was a great help in collection of statistics and photos on the violations detailed in this chapter)