Fútbol contra el Apartheid

On 10 June 2014 delegates from 209 national Football Associations will assemble in Brazil for the 2014 Congress of FIFA the ruling world body of football, also known as Association Football or Soccer.      Each delegate from countries as large as Russia, as populous as China or India,   as exceptional at football as Brazil, Italy, France, Spain or as small as the island of Vanuatu or Cook Islands will have exactly the same voting power.  One vote each.    No one will have a veto over what can be discussed and voted upon in a democratic way.    No single National Association will be able to VETO a discussion.     When Jibril Rajoub, Chair of the Palestinian Football Association stands up at the FIFA congress and proposes that Apartheid Israel is expelled from FIFA on similar racial grounds to those that had Apartheid South Africa expelled from the African Football Confederation in 1958 and on similar racial grounds that had Apartheid Israel expelled from the Asian Football Confederation in 1974,  there will be a discussion and a vote.   There will of course be pressure by Zionist supporters on the delegates to vote against the Palestinians or to weaken the motion etc.  but there will be a discussion and a vote.

This is not to say that FIFA is perfect, far from it, and we will deal with these issues in another discussion.   But let us now look at the “great” United Nations.  The Bastion of democracy

The United Nations fails the test of democracy from the start.     It is based on POWER,  Imperial power.    The Great Imperial powers have shared out the spoils between them with special powers to;  USA, China, Russia, Britain, France.  Any one of them can invoke their power of “VETO”,  effectively ensuring that a motion by Palestine to expel Apartheid Israel from the UN would not even be raised for discussion.       The USA has kicked democratic discussion, debate and democratic decision making in the face than any other, mainly in defence of Apartheid racism by Israel towards the Palestinian people.

Since the United States vetoes the strongest UN statements against Israel, the vetoed resolutions are more relevant, than those actually passed. The threat of a US veto, stops many serious resolutions against Israel from even getting to a vote, and causes those resolutions that do get to a vote, to be significantly watering down (in the hope that the US might not veto them).

The following are the resolutions vetoed by the United States during the period of September, 1972, to May, 1990, to protect Israel from Security Council resolutions or criticism:

US Vetoes of Resolutions Against Israel, 1972-1990.
1. “…condemned Israel’s attack against Southern against southern Lebanon and Syria…”
2. “…affirmed the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, statehood and equal protections…”
3. “…condemned Israel’s air strikes and attacks in southern Lebanon and its murder of innocent civilians…”
4. “…called for self-determination of Palestinian people…”
5. “…deplored Israel’s altering of the status of Jerusalem, which is recognized as an international city by most world nations and the United Nations…”
6. “…affirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people…”
7. “…endorsed self-determination for the Palestinian people…”
8. “…demanded Israel’s withdrawal from the Golan Heights…”
9. “…condemned Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and its refusal to abide by the Geneva convention protocols of civilized nations…”
10. “…condemned an Israeli soldier who shot eleven Moslem worshippers at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount near Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem…”
11. “…urged sanctions against Israel if it did not withdraw from its invasion of Lebanon…”
12. “…urged sanctions against Israel if it did not withdraw from its invasion of Beirut…”
13. “…urged cutoff of economic aid to Israel if it refused to withdraw from its occupation of Lebanon…”
14. “…condemned continued Israeli settlements in occupied territories in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, denouncing them as an obstacle to peace…”
15. “…deplores Israel’s brutal massacre of Arabs in Lebanon and urges its withdrawal…”
16. “…condemned Israeli brutality in southern Lebanon and denounced the Israeli ‘Iron Fist’ policy of repression…”
17. “…denounced Israel’s violation of human rights in the occupied territories…”
18. “…deplored Israel’s violence in southern Lebanon…”
19. “…deplored Israel’s activities in occupied Arab East Jerusalem that threatened the sanctity of Muslim holy sites…”
20. “…condemned Israel’s hijacking of a Libyan passenger airplane…”
21. “…deplored Israel’s attacks against Lebanon and its measures and practices against the civilian population of Lebanon…”
22. “…called on Israel to abandon its policies against the Palestinian intifada that violated the rights of occupied Palestinians, to abide by the Fourth Geneva Conventions, and to formalize a leading role for the United Nations in future peace negotiations…”
23. “…urged Israel to accept back deported Palestinians, condemned Israel’s shooting of civilians, called on Israel to uphold the Fourth Geneva Convention, and called for a peace settlement under UN auspices…”
24. “…condemned Israel’s… incursion into Lebanon…”
25. “…deplored Israel’s… commando raids on Lebanon…”
26. “…deplored Israel’s repression of the Palestinian intifada and called on Israel to respect the human rights of the Palestinians…”
27. “…deplored Israel’s violation of the human rights of the Palestinians…”
28. “…demanded that Israel return property confiscated from Palestinians during a tax protest and allow a fact-finding mission to observe Israel’s crackdown on the Palestinian intifada…”
29. “…called for a fact-finding mission on abuses against Palestinians in Israeli-occupied lands…”
(From Findley’s Deliberate Deceptions, pages 192 – 194)

UN Resolutions Against Israel, 1955-1992.

Note that Israel is in VIOLATION of many of these Resolutions.
1. Resolution 106: “…condemns Israel for Gaza raid”
2. Resolution 111: “…condemns Israel for raid on Syria that killed fifty-six people”
3. Resolution 127: “…recommends Israel suspend its ‘no-man’s zone’ in Jerusalem”
4. Resolution 162: “…urges Israel to comply with UN decisions”
5. Resolution 171: “…determines flagrant violations by Israel in its attack on Syria”
6. Resolution 228: “…censures Israel for its attack on Samu in the West Bank, then under Jordanian control”
7. Resolution 237: “…urges Israel to allow return of new 1967 Palestinian refugees”
8. Resolution 248: “…condemns Israel for its massive attack on Karameh in Jordan”
9. Resolution 250: “…calls on Israel to refrain from holding military parade in Jerusalem”
10. Resolution 251: “…deeply deplores Israeli military parade in Jerusalem in defiance of Resolution 250”
11. Resolution 252: “…declares invalid Israel’s acts to unify Jerusalem as Jewish capital”
12. Resolution 256: “…condemns Israeli raids on Jordan as flagrant violation”
13. Resolution 259: “…deplores Israel’s refusal to accept UN mission to probe occupation”
14. Resolution 262: “…condemns Israel for attack on Beirut airport”
15. Resolution 265: “…condemns Israel for air attacks for Salt in Jordan”
16. Resolution 267: “…censures Israel for administrative acts to change the status of Jerusalem”
17. Resolution 270: “…condemns Israel for air attacks on villages in southern Lebanon”
18. Resolution 271: “…condemns Israel’s failure to obey UN resolutions on Jerusalem”
19. Resolution 279: “…demands withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon”
20. Resolution 280: “…condemns Israeli’s attacks against Lebanon”
21. Resolution 285: “…demands immediate Israeli withdrawal form Lebanon”
22. Resolution 298: “…deplores Israel’s changing of the status of Jerusalem”
23. Resolution 313: “…demands that Israel stop attacks against Lebanon”
24. Resolution 316: “…condemns Israel for repeated attacks on Lebanon”
25. Resolution 317: “…deplores Israel’s refusal to release Arabs abducted in Lebanon”
26. Resolution 332: “…condemns Israel’s repeated attacks against Lebanon”
27. Resolution 337: “…condemns Israel for violating Lebanon’s sovereignty”
28. Resolution 347: “…condemns Israeli attacks on Lebanon”
29. Resolution 425: “…calls on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon”
30. Resolution 427: “…calls on Israel to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon”
31. Resolution 444: “…deplores Israel’s lack of cooperation with UN peacekeeping forces”
32. Resolution 446: “…determines that Israeli settlements are a serious obstruction to peace and calls on Israel to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention”
33. Resolution 450: “…calls on Israel to stop attacking Lebanon”
34. Resolution 452: “…calls on Israel to cease building settlements in occupied territories”
35. Resolution 465: “…deplores Israel’s settlements and asks all member states not to assist Israel’s settlements program”
36. Resolution 467: “…strongly deplores Israel’s military intervention in Lebanon”
37. Resolution 468: “…calls on Israel to rescind illegal expulsions of two Palestinian mayors and a judge and to facilitate their return”
38. Resolution 469: “…strongly deplores Israel’s failure to observe the council’s order not to deport Palestinians”
39. Resolution 471: “…expresses deep concern at Israel’s failure to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention”
40. Resolution 476: “…reiterates that Israel’s claims to Jerusalem are null and void”
41. Resolution 478: “…censures (Israel) in the strongest terms for its claim to Jerusalem in its ‘Basic Law'”
42. Resolution 484: “…declares it imperative that Israel re-admit two deported Palestinian mayors”
43. Resolution 487: “…strongly condemns Israel for its attack on Iraq’s nuclear facility”
44. Resolution 497: “…decides that Israel’s annexation of Syria’s Golan Heights is null and void and demands that Israel rescind its decision forthwith”
45. Resolution 498: “…calls on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon”
46. Resolution 501: “…calls on Israel to stop attacks against Lebanon and withdraw its troops”
47. Resolution 509: “…demands that Israel withdraw its forces forthwith and unconditionally from Lebanon”
48. Resolution 515: “…demands that Israel lift its siege of Beirut and allow food supplies to be brought in”
49. Resolution 517: “…censures Israel for failing to obey UN resolutions and demands that Israel withdraw its forces from Lebanon”
50. Resolution 518: “…demands that Israel cooperate fully with UN forces in Lebanon”
51. Resolution 520: “…condemns Israel’s attack into West Beirut”
52. Resolution 573: “…condemns Israel vigorously for bombing Tunisia in attack on PLO headquarters”
53. Resolution 587: “…takes note of previous calls on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon and urges all parties to withdraw”
54. Resolution 592: “…strongly deplores the killing of Palestinian students at Bir Zeit University by Israeli troops”
55. Resolution 605: “…strongly deplores Israel’s policies and practices denying the human rights of Palestinians”
56. Resolution 607: “…calls on Israel not to deport Palestinians and strongly requests it to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention”
57. Resolution 608: “…deeply regrets that Israel has defied the United Nations and deported Palestinian civilians”
58. Resolution 636: “…deeply regrets Israeli deportation of Palestinian civilians”
59. Resolution 641: “…deplores Israel’s continuing deportation of Palestinians”
60. Resolution 672: “…condemns Israel for violence against Palestinians at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount”
61. Resolution 673: “…deplores Israel’s refusal to cooperate with the United Nations”
62. Resolution 681: “…deplores Israel’s resumption of the deportation of Palestinians”
63. Resolution 694: “…deplores Israel’s deportation of Palestinians and calls on it to ensure their safe and immediate return”
64. Resolution 726: “…strongly condemns Israel’s deportation of Palestinians”
65. Resolution 799: “…strongly condemns Israel’s deportation of 413 Palestinians and calls for their immediate return.”
(From Findley’s Deliberate Deceptions, pages 188 –

It is for this reason we urge readers to visit our petition pages, where we address petitions to as many of the 209 Football Associations as we can urging them too to act in a democratic way and table the motion by Jibril Rajoub, Chair of the Palestinian Football Association, and have a democratic discussion on how that Associations wishes its vote to be cast at the FIFA congress on 10 June. Football Against Apartheid believes that the football associations should vote to end the arrest, imprisonment, torture of Palestinian and the shooting, maiming and killing of Palestinian footballers.     But most important of all is that each of the 209 national football Associations invoke their democratic procedure consider and vote on the issue, record and publish the votes of people voting for and against apartheid.    Please exercise your democratic right to sign all the petitions (or as many as you can) urging all the Football Associations to invoke their democratic obligations, lest the “chairman” usurp the democratic process and “He” (nearly all men) corrup the democratic process with in our game for personal gain.