FIFA enables genocide.
Last night, FIFA, the world football governing body, stepped in at the last minute to shield genocidal Israel from accountability by postponing Saturday’s vote on banning Israel until after the Olympics.
FIFA is guaranteeing the Israeli football team’s participation in the Paris Games as Israel escalates its genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza and continues its sporticide against Palestinian sports.
In just the past few days, Israel has killed footballers Sayeed Yousef Odeh (16), Yazan Al-Sarsawi (11) and Shadi Abu Al-Arraj (36).
On July 9, Israel bombed a UN school sheltering Palestinians forcibly displaced by its #GazaGenocide as children played football, killing at least 30. Israel has bombed nine schools sheltering Palestinians in Gaza in recent days.
Israel has killed at least 240 Palestinian footballers, including 67 children from the football academy, injured at least 15 and imprisoned 12.
Israel has targeted and damaged or destroyed 49 Palestinian sports facilities, including stadiums, pitches, and clubhouses. Stadiums in Gaza have been occupied by the Israeli military and used as detention and torture centers.
Tell FIFA there’s only one way to vote: Ban Genocidal Apartheid Israel from football!
FIFA could have and should have acted years ago to ban apartheid Israel from the beautiful game, as organizations representing millions, UN officials, footballers, and nearly 200 members of parliament demanded.
By continuing to shield Israel from accountability, FIFA is helping to create what the UN Secretary-General calls “total impunity,” which allows Israel to carry out a live-streamed genocide and escalate its 76-year-old apartheid regime with impunity. This must stop now.
Contact FIFA Council members: Don’t sportswash genocide. #BanIsrael from football!
The 47-member Asian Football Confederation, a FIFA organization, has called for Israel to be banned from FIFA. Petitions calling on FIFA to ban Israel have garnered more than 500,000 signatures.
One thing we know: FIFA and Israel are worried. Let’s step up the pressure.
As sports journalist Dave Zirin has said, international sporting bodies will only expel Israel if we make them.
Given FIFA’s corruption and the fact that it is essentially a tool of the colonial West, and given its persistent failure over many years to uphold its own rules and expel Israel, we must resort to people power to disrupt the participation of genocidal Israel in world sports. We call for the peaceful disruption of ALL Israeli participation in regional and international sports.
When governments and institutions fail to uphold justice and stop Israel's #GazaGenocide, people of conscience must shoulder the moral responsibility to isolate apartheid Israel, just as apartheid South Africa was isolated.