Argentina and Uruguay Players Need to Hear From You: Cancel "Friendly" Match in Apartheid Israel
Football players for the Argentina and Uruguay national teams have the power and the influence to stop the "friendly" match in apartheid Israel.
The Argentina and Uruguay national football teams are planning a “friendly” match in apartheid Israel on November 18, ignoring Palestinian appeals and as Israel carries out attacks on besieged Gaza.
For Israel, this is about using the beautiful game to sports-wash its crimes of occupation and apartheid against Palestinians, including athletes.
For the Football Associations, this is clearly about the money. Argentina even canceled an already scheduled friendly match with Paraguay to make the match in the ethnically-cleansed Palestinian city of Jaffa happen.
We need to reach the players. They have the power and the influence to stop this match.
Tell Argentina and Uruguay players:
Apartheid is never “friendly.” Cancel the match now!
Players need to know they should be standing with Palestinian amputee footballers in Gaza who lost limbs to Israeli army sniper fire, instead of entertaining apartheid Israel.
Players need to know they should be standing with the families of Palestinian children killed by Israel while playing football, instead of sports-washing Israel’s military occupation and ethnic cleansing.
Players need to know they should be standing with Palestinian athletes deprived by Israel of freedom of movement and the chance to compete, instead of covering up Israel’s siege, illegal settlements and apartheid walls.
Last week, human rights supporters in Barcelona went to the grounds where players Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez were training to make a personal appeal to them.
Civil society groups in Argentina and Uruguay are mobilizing this week to convince the teams to stand with Palestinian footballers in their struggle for the right to live and play.
Let’s speak to the players themselves. Let them know that football fans across Palestine and the world want to see sports used to empower and promote tolerance, not to cover up gross human rights abuses.
Take a few minutes to tweet to Argentina and Uruguay players:
to Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez
to Agustin Marchesin and Juan Musso
to Emiliano Martínez and Juan Foyth
to Renzo Saravia and Marcos Acuña
to Giovani Lo Celso and German Pezzela
to Nicolas Otamendi and Lucas Alario
to Roberto Pereyra and Lucas Ocampo
to Sergio Agüero and Milton Casco
to Guido Pizarro and Leandro Paredes
to Paulo Dybala and Nicolas Tagliafico
to Walter Kannemann and Guido Rodriguez
to Rodrigo dePaul and Lautaro Martinez
to Fernando Muslera and Martín Campaña
to Diego Godín and José María Gutiérrez
to Sebastián Coates and Gastón Silva
to Lucas Torreira and Matías Vecino
to Federico Valverde and Brian Lozano
to Brian Rodríguez and Edinson Cavani
to Maximiliano Gómez and Cristhian Stuani
See sample messages and images below that you can adapt for social media posts:
[replace with player names], stand with Palestinian amputee footballers in Gaza who lost limbs to Israeli army sniper fire.
Don't entertain apartheid Israel. Skip @Argentina - @Uruguay “friendly” match.
#RioplatensesNoVayan https://bit.ly/33EmPPh
[replace with player names], stand with families of Palestinian kids killed by Israel while playing football.
Don’t sports-wash Israel’s military occupation. Skip “friendly” match in apartheid Israel.
#RioplatensesNoVayan https://bit.ly/33EmPPh
[replace with player names], stand with Palestinian athletes deprived by Israel of the chance to compete.
Don’t sports-wash Israel's illegal settlements and apartheid walls. Skip “friendly” match.
#RioplatensesNoVayan https://bit.ly/33EmPPh
[replace with player names], stand with Palestinian footballers and fans who’ve had their stadiums bombed by Israel.
Don’t help cover up Israel's attacks on Palestinian sports. Skip “friendly” match.
#RioplatensesNoVayan https://bit.ly/33EmPPh
[replace with player names], football fans in Palestine and worldwide want to see sport used to promote tolerance, not to cover up human rights abuses.
Don't play “friendly” match in apartheid Israel.
#RioplatensesNoVayan https://bit.ly/33EmPPh