Tell Argentina and Uruguay: There’s Nothing Friendly About Israeli Apartheid
The Argentina and Uruguay national football teams are planning a “friendly” match in apartheid Israel on November 18.
Last year, letters from Palestine, a huge outpouring on social media and actions on the ground in Buenos Aires and Barcelona convinced Argentina to cancel a planned friendly match in Jerusalem.
Israel uses the prestige of championship teams like Argentina and Uruguay and star players Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez to sports-wash its regime of oppression, apartheid and occupation.
We’ve stopped this before. We can stop it again.
Tell Argentina and Uruguay: There’s Nothing Friendly About Israeli Apartheid
The Khadamat Rafah Football Club in Gaza wrote to both teams urging them “not to allow the beautiful game to be used as cover for gross human rights violations.”
Khadamat Rafah overcame huge obstacles caused by Israel’s brutal 12-year siege and repeated military aggressions to win the 2019 Gaza League championship. However, Israel’s severe restrictions, which shamefully deny Palestinians their right to freedom of movement, prevented the team from playing in the Palestine Cup. This is cruelty by design.
Tell Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez: Palestinian Footballers need your support
Groups in Argentina and Uruguay are mobilizing on the ground to convince the teams to stand with Palestinian footballers in their struggle for the right to live and play.
Join them on social media! See sample tweets and posts below to send a strong message to Argentina and Uruguay that fans around the world won’t stand for them teaming up with Israel’s regime of oppression.
Sample Social Media tweets and posts using image above:
Israel has detained, maimed, killed Palestinian footballers and bombed Palestinian stadiums.
@Argentina & @Uruguay, there's nothing "friendly" about Israel's attacks on Palestinian sports.
Stand with Palestinian athletes. Cancel match in apartheid Tel Aviv. #rioplatensesnovayan
@Argentina & @Uruguay, there's nothing 'friendly' about Israel's attacks on Palestinian sports.
Stand with Palestinian athletes. Cancel match in apartheid Israel. #rioplatensesnovayan pic.twitter.com/hSKfHfjChX" src="http://clicktotweet.com/img/tweet-graphic-4.png" width="72px" />
Israel denied travel for winning Gaza team, forcing cancellation of 2019 Palestine Football Cup.
There's nothing "friendly" about Israel's attacks on Palestinian sport.
@Argentina & @Uruguay, stand with Palestinian teams. Cancel match in apartheid Tel Aviv. #rioplatensesnovayan
There's nothing 'friendly' about Israel's attacks on Palestinian sport.
@Argentina & @Uruguay, please cancel your match in apartheid Tel Aviv. #rioplatensesnovayan pic.twitter.com/hSKfHfjChX" src="http://clicktotweet.com/img/tweet-graphic-4.png" width="72px" />
Write to Argentina and Uruguay: Cancel "Friendly" Match in Apartheid Israel
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3,807Argentina and Uruguay National Football Teams
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[email protected], [email protected]
Dear Argentina and Uruguay National Football Teams,
I urge you to move your friendly match from Israel until Palestinians are able to play football freely.
Please listen to the call from the Palestinian team Khadamat Rafah, who urge you “not to allow the beautiful game to be used as cover for gross human rights violations.”
After Khadamat Rafah won the Gaza League championship, despite enduring the brutally harsh conditions imposed by the Israeli occupation and its 12-year siege on Gaza, Israel denied the team the right to travel for the Palestine Cup, forcing the finals to be canceled.
Can you imagine having victory snatched from you without even having the chance to play?
Israel arrests, harasses and kills Palestinian athletes. Israeli football leagues include clubs based in illegal Israeli settlements that drive Palestinian families from their land. Israel has bombed Palestinian stadiums and sport structures. It denies Palestinian footballers the right to travel to train and play.
The Israeli government will use the match to cover-up its brutal attacks on Palestinians, on and off the field.
Please stand with Palestinian footballers in their struggle for the right to live and play.
There is nothing “friendly” about military occupation and apartheid. Don’t play in Israel until Palestinians’ human rights are respected.
Please don’t team up with Israeli apartheid!
Sincerely,
Thank you.
Thank you!
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