FIFA must not treat Apartheid Israel more favourably than Apartheid South Africa

6 years ago monty 0

Football Against Apartheid drafted the following resolution calling on FIFA to help the Palestinian people 40 of whom have been killed and 5,551 injured by Israeli sniper-fire, using explosive bullets on the date of this mail for the sole reason that they are of the wrong race, and as such not allowed to return to their homes in Palestine.   We fear a massacre on the scale of Soweto on 16 June 1976 when white South African police turned their guns on protesting students & massacred 178 of them.   A month later FIFA expelled Apartheid SA from FIFA by 78 votes to 9.

Resolution to FIFA Congress 12 June 2018

This FIFA congress recalls that Israel was expelled from the Asian Football Confederation in 1974 for reasons of racism and remains expelled from that Confederation.    That Israel was admitted into the UEFA and given access to the most most financially lucrative football tournaments in the world, particularly at International level, as well as access to The Champions League,  The World’s most prestigious  tournament.    Whilst Israel prevents Palestine from playing in a single league, and from travelling as they desire to take part in tournaments or friendly matches as all other FIFA nations are free to do.

We recall that FIFA has considered the issue of Apartheid Israel at previous Congress in Brazil in 2014, in Zurich in 2015, 2016 and that Apartheid still being enforced in Palestine by an occupying Israel Army.  That the Israeli army is using snipers shooting explosive bullets against unarmed Palestinian people causing at least 42 deaths of unarmed youths & wounding more than 1000 requiring the amputation of legs or arms, ensuring that these youths will never play football again.  The unarmed Palestinians were / are demonstrating their desire to return to the homes they have been driven from during the course of what is known as The Nakba when over 700,000 people were driven from their homes & their country.

This FIFA Congress acknowledges that Apartheid South Africa was an appalling regime that divided all its people into racial categories, and forced them to live separate lives, and the worst and most brutal racist abuse was reserved for the majority category known as African, who were and are the aboriginal people of that land.  This FIFA Congress  recalls the anger and torment of the extreme, brutal & ferocious violence against the colonised & oppressed people of South Africa which was condemned across the world.  But we also recall that Apartheid South Africa

  • did not bomb football pitches / stadia of the oppressed categories as Apartheid Israel has done
  • was not accused of delaying / preventing football equipment from reaching football teams of oppressed categories, as Apartheid Israel has done
  • was not accused of deliberately shooting & maiming football players coming & going to training grounds, as apartheid Israel has done/
  • was not accused of shooting dead children & youths peacefully playing football, as Apartheid Israel has done
  • was not accused of arresting & jailing footballers for 3 years or more without trial or & forced to take hunger strike for over 96 days to secure release, as Apartheid Israel has done
  • was not accused of preventing the oppressed non-white categories of football players from travelling to play local matches, as Apartheid Israel has done
  • was not accused of preventing oppressed non-white categories of football fans from travelling to support their clubs, where crowds often exceeded 60,000, as Apartheid Israel has done.

This FIFA Congress  believes therefore that there is now a much stronger & more urgent case for peacefully expelling Apartheid Israel than there ever has been against Apartheid South Africa when expelled from FIFA 41 years ago on 16 July 1976 by 78 votes to 9.  Not a single person will suffer injury or ill-health, as a direct result of expulsion,  and FIFA will help save thousands of innocent lives, by treating Apartheid Israel as it treated Apartheid South Africa

Football Against Apartheid

May 2018