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‘Israel has intentionally destroyed or damaged all Palestinian sporting infrastructure in Gaza, including major stadiums, some of which were used as detention and torture centres by Israeli forces.’
By SHAKIR ACHMAT
LED by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, the push to isolate Israel from international sports is gaining renewed momentum against the backdrop of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Drawing lessons – and inspiration – from the successful sports boycott campaign against Apartheid South Africa, the movement is demanding Israel’s exclusion from all sports due to its illegal occupation of Palestinian land and the denial and violation of basic human rights.
The ‘Red Card Israel’ campaign directly targets the world’s football governing body, FIFA, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also been called upon to expel Israel.
Naazim Adam of the Palestinian Solidarity Alliance (PSA) observed growing support, particularly among sports fans, who are increasingly speaking out against Israel’s impunity. Adam noted that many Israeli athletes serve in the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) and benefit from the colonisation and privileges that apartheid bestows on them, while Palestinians are denied even the most basic rights and freedom.
‘In fact, Palestinian athletes are not just dispossessed and living under occupation, they are killed and maimed on every occasion,’ Adam stated. The campaign highlights the disparity between the support given to Israeli athletes and the ongoing human rights violations against Palestinians.
Adam explained that the campaign to ban Israel from the Paris 2024 Olympics faced challenges due to its late launch and the need for broader momentum.
‘There are many other boycott campaigns requiring attention, and working within federations and with influential sports leaders is a long-term programme, which I’m glad we have started he noted,’ Adam also criticised the IOC for its perceived double-standards in international sports: ‘I would like to think that the boycott would be a hot potato for the IOC and they would rather not engage, especially noting the double-standards where Russia was almost immediately excluded from world sport but Israel, a recognised apartheid state accused of possible genocide by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is not.’
SPORTS UNDER ATTACK IN GAZA
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403 athletes and sports officials killed in Israeli attacks
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313 footballers killed, including 87 children
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50+ sports facilities destroyed
Source: Palestine Football Association
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), a founding member of the BDS movement, is the leading advocate for the sports boycott.
A PACBI spokesperson emphasised the need for Israel’s exclusion from international sporting bodies due to its crimes against Palestinians.
‘Israel’s ongoing military assault on Gaza, its apartheid regime and its destruction of Palestinian sports infrastructure are central to our call for a sports boycott,’ the spokesperson stated.
They highlighted the impact of these policies, noting that over 410 sportspeople were among the thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza over the past year, including prominent figures like the first Palestinian Olympian, Majed Abu Maraheel, former footballer and national Olympic team manager, Hani Al Masry, and Palestinian Athletics team runner, Waseem Ayman Abu Deeb. Other victims include Khan Younis goalkeeper, Shadi Abu-Alarraj, FIFA-certified referee, Mohammed Khattab, and Olympic football coach, Hani Al Masdar. Nearly a 100 youth team players and children also lost their lives.
PACBI also detailed how Israel’s siege and ongoing violence have profoundly impacted athletes like Mohammed Hamada, the first Palestinian Olympic weightlifter. Hamada, who was supposed to compete in the Paris Games, lost 20kg due to what PACBI describes as Israel’s ‘engineered famine’ against Palestinians in Gaza, depriving him of the chance to participate.
Israel, PACBI noted, has intentionally destroyed or damaged all Palestinian sporting infrastructure in Gaza, including major stadiums, some of which were used as detention and torture centres by Israeli forces.
In the occupied West Bank, Israel’s violent assaults continue. Recently, Israeli forces killed 15-year-old youth footballer Mohammad Kanaan and destroyed the Jenin football stadium.
PACBI decried Israel’s ‘sporticide’ against Palestinians, calling for its isolation from the world of sports, much like Apartheid South Africa.
SPORTSWASHING CRIMES
‘All the while, Israel, like other oppressive regimes, uses athletic competitions to sportswash its crimes, projecting a false image on the global stage,’ PACBI emphasised.
PACBI has achieved notable successes in its campaign. Recently, the Omani beach football team withdrew from the 2024 World Winners’ Cup in Italy in support of Palestinian rights. During the Paris Olympics, Algerian judoka, Messaoud Dris, refused to compete against an Israeli opponent, drawing significant attention.
On the sports association level, the Asian Football Confederation has supported the Palestinian call to ban Israel from FIFA. Petitions with over 1.2 million signatures demand Israel’s exclusion from international sports and the Olympics.
In Ireland, over 200 athletes have called for an investigation into Israel’s violations of the Olympic charter, and the City of Udine in Italy has declared it will not sponsor a UEFA Nations league match with Israel.
Rugby has also become a focal point in the campaign.
Last year, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) faced criticism for initially inviting the Tel Aviv Heat, an Israeli rugby team, to participate in a competition. After intense pressure from pro-Palestinian groups, SARU withdrew the invitation.
Jaamia Galant from the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign in Cape Town viewed this as a positive step but noted it did not reflect a broader stance against Israeli rugby.
‘No sports unions or federations in South Africa have supported a comprehensive sports boycott of Israel. They need government action to legislate BDS,’ Galant said. She also highlighted efforts to lobby South Africa’s local football federation to pressure FIFA into expelling Israel but lamented that ‘even this has not happened yet.’
SARU REFUSING TO TAKE A STAND
SARU has defended its stance by claiming that it is a ‘non-political organisation.’
According to a statement from a SARU spokesperson, ‘as a national sports federation we hold deep respect for diverse religious and political beliefs. However, as a non-political, non- religious organisation, we have no mandate to express an opinion on non-rugby matters. Representing the entirety of the nation, it is imperative for us to act as a unifying entity, promoting cohesion and tolerance among all South Africans.’
This position, the statement adds, reflects SARU’s broader commitment to remain neutral on politically charged issues.
However, SARU has faced severe criticism for not taking a more definitive stance on Israel’s participation in international sports.
The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) has remained silent on the issue, drawing criticism for its perceived inaction. This silence has been viewed by some as a failure to address the broader political implications of Israel’s participation in global sports.
Despite several attempts by Muslim Views the Minister of Sports, Gayton McKenzie of the Patriotic Alliance, and SASCOC were unavailable for comment.
At the start of the Paris Olympics 2024 the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture issued a statement condemning Israel’s participation. While the statement was not attributed to anyone in the department, the Deputy Minister of Sports, the ANC’s Peace Mabe, took to social media to endorse the statement.
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McKenzie, who was in Paris for the opening ceremony of the Olympics, sharply criticised his deputy’s statement, highlighting a political divide within the department on the issue.
The movement to isolate Israel from international sports continues to build momentum, driven by increasing support from athletes, fans and organisations globally. Despite significant challenges and resistance from key bodies, including FIFA and SARU’s neutral stance, the campaign aims to leverage its growing visibility to push for meaningful action against Israel’s human rights abuses.
The struggle is far from over and PACBI has already started planning for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
‘Our urgent call is for no sports as usual while Israel’s violent apartheid regime continues to kill and oppress Palestinians across all of historic Palestine,’ the spokesperson for PACBI declared. ‘We urge teams and athletes to stand with us and use their platforms to call for full respect for Palestinian human rights and international law and to refuse to compete against representatives of genocidal Apartheid Israel.’
The spokesperson also emphasised the need for fans to take action, saying, ‘We call on sports fans and people of conscience around the world to peacefully disrupt UEFA and FIFA matches, wherever they take place, until FIFA stops enabling Israel’s genocide and Apartheid regime, and to start planning protests now for the Winter Olympics in Italy.’
With this growing international backing, PACBI hopes to maintain pressure on global sporting bodies to take a stand against Israel’s violation of Palestinian rights.
