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Israel has now transitioned from an Apartheid regime to committing genocide. Its teams continue to play on the land of another FIFA member without consent. Its fans are among the most racist and bigoted in the world.
By MOGAMAT REDERWAAN CRAAYENSTEIN
It is truly astonishing to see how the Labour Party government is intervening on behalf of Israeli football fans at a European football match in a major city in England.
Israel has killed 450 Palestinian footballers, starved all football players, and destroyed all football fields and training facilities in Gaza. Yet, it claims to be a normal football-playing nation. Apartheid South Africa was expelled for less than that over 60 years ago. UK Labour Party activists played a significant role in banning South Africa from international sports. Today, the same party’s members serve as human shields for an Apartheid, genocidal settler colonial regime: ‘Shame on you!’
When we accuse Israel of Apartheid and genocide, we are talking about crimes against humanity. The links to reports of major human rights organisations are attached below. The UK government mumbles that it does not really know whether there is Apartheid or whether genocide is being committed. To them we say: ‘Shame on you!’
Apartheid South Africa was punished for less than the blood that drips from the hands of the Israeli regime. I deliberately use the words because I do not care about blood libel. I care about the blood of every human being.
And I am not introducing politics into sport. No, sport is already politicised. Ask Israel, FIFA, and UEFA. Ask the Russians after they were expelled for invading Ukraine. Israel can invade Gaza and the West Bank to starve, maim, kill, and expel with gay abandon.
Israel is an Apartheid regime and must be expelled from world sports
Israel maintains an Apartheid regime between the river and the sea. That is the consensus position of major human rights organisations. For the crime of Apartheid, anti-Apartheid organisations in the 1960s called for South Africa to be expelled from global sport. In 1961, FIFA expelled South Africa. In 1970, South Africa was expelled from the Olympics. UEFA and FIFA expelled Russia in 2022 within days of its invasion of Ukraine. Why is Israel being treated differently by the Labour Party government, UEFA, and FIFA? Moreover, what is Israel doing playing in Europe against European teams when all its neighbours compete in Asian competitions? What on earth is happening here? I could be more colourful.
In 1969, UK activists played a significant role in direct action to stop Apartheid South Africa sports teams. We have seen how Labour Party members are so vociferously against direct action to stop Apartheid and genocide by Israel. Apartheid South Africa was dreadful, though not nearly as bad as Israel. UK anti-Apartheid activists engaged in direct action to disrupt every match of the 1969-70 Springbok rugby tour. The racist Apartheid white rugby administrators in South Africa had strong ties with their counterparts in England. The same was true for all the Commonwealth sports administrators. The Springboks were a formidable white team and always boosted the finances of the rugby unions.
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Activists in the Anti-Apartheid movement took direct action to make the Springbok rugby team aware they were not welcome. Sixty years on, I can still smell the teargas. If Israeli athletes faced similar direct political actions, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) would accuse activists of anti-Semitism, and many would be detained. However, that was a time before the moderating influence of the office affected the Labour Party. Some of their senior members still remember those times fondly. Some were councillors back then and would fly flags in solidarity with the anti-Apartheid movement on their council flagpoles. Imagine supporters of the Israeli Apartheid regime doing that to support those fighting against Israeli Apartheid.
In 1977, the activists forced the Commonwealth to sign the Gleneagles Agreement. Commonwealth governments undertook to discourage their citizens from competing against countries that discriminated based on race or ethnicity. It was called race then. Now, if that same ethical commitment and moral stance were used 50 years later, then one would have expected the Labour Party government to call on Commonwealth countries to do the same with the settler colonial Israeli Apartheid regime. They would also have called on the UEFA to apply cultural sanctions against the Israeli Apartheid regime.
Indeed, there was a debate about whether activists were politicising sports, which should be uniting people. In reality, it is the regime that introduces politics into sports. They organise society and sports along racial lines. Any activity that does not comply would be contravening the laws of the country. Israel, as an Apartheid regime, does the same. Moreover, it actively destroys the prospects of Palestinian sports. They have just demolished all the sports facilities. They starve, maim, and kill Palestinian footballers. In fact, nearly 450 footballers have been killed.
If the Labour Party had the moral compass and integrity of its councillors and MPs in the 1960s and 1970s, Israeli sportspersons would not be welcome anywhere in the UK. The UK government would work to have Israeli sports banned across Europe, at the World Cup, and at the Olympics. In the South African anti-Apartheid movement, we said that ‘there can be no normal sport in an abnormal society’.
Israel is committing genocide. This is a crime against humanity. Apartheid South Africa was sanctioned for less. It is an utter disgrace that the Labour Party government is intervening on behalf of defenders of Apartheid and genocide in Israel. They come from a tradition of direct action against crimes against humanity, and now they want to defend the perpetrators and defenders of an Apartheid and genocidal settler colonial regime.
Playing on stolen land
The following are affiliates of the Israel Football Association that play on occupied land: Beitar Givat Ze’ev, Beitar Ironi Ariel, Ironi Yehuda, Beitar Ironi Maale Adumim and Hapoel Bik’at Hayarden. FIFA Rules say that teams from one association cannot play on the land of another association without the permission of the latter. These are teams that are founded and based in illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank. The settlements are illegal under international law. FIFA is governed by international law. The Israeli Football Association is in violation of FIFA Rules. FIFA has been investigating this issue since 2015. It has only been delaying the process and outcome because of strong pressures from the pro-Israel lobby.
Note how swiftly Russia was suspended from UEFA and FIFA within days of invading and occupying Ukraine. UEFA also ruled that when Russia occupied Crimea, Crimean football teams could not participate in the Russian league. The question is why no decision has been made regarding Israel as an Apartheid state, a country that commits crimes against humanity as well as genocide, and whose football association permits affiliated clubs to play on land owned by the Palestine Football Association, in breach of FIFA rules. Each of these violations alone would justify suspending and expelling the Israel Football Association. Collectively, they present an irrefutable case.
The same leader of FIFA who took office to eliminate corruption and human rights abuses within FIFA has now used the so-called Trump ceasefire to avoid making a decision to expel the Israeli Football Association. Trump or no Trump, Israeli football teams are still playing on Palestinian land without Palestinian permission. The same leader who pledged to prioritise human rights for FIFA now claims that FIFA cannot resolve geopolitical issues. This new FIFA leader is whitewashing FIFA’s history of acting against human rights violators. FIFA appears to be giving the Israel Football Association a free pass. When the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or International Criminal Court (ICC) need to prosecute Israeli perpetrators, it will hinder efforts for peace negotiations, which Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders oppose. There is always a reason to avoid action against Israel or Israelis.
In England, and elsewhere in the UK, football fans are banned by clubs and are criminally prosecuted for racist and homophobic slurs. The clubs and police use CCTV footage as part of the evidence. Yet, the English Football Association and the UK government are using all their powers to protect these Israeli racist, homophobic, anti-Palestinian supporters.
Even if the ban on Macabi Tel Aviv fans is lifted, we have seen that the Apartheid, genocidal emperor has no clothes, even though some give branded names to his nakedness.
Israel has now transitioned from an Apartheid regime to committing genocide. Its teams continue to play on the land of another FIFA member without consent. Its fans are among the most racist and bigoted in the world. Its football association remains silent regarding the destruction of football infrastructure, players, and administrators of another FIFA member. Its fans, both at home and abroad, are thugs. Why is Israel still part of world sport? On March 21, 1960, Apartheid South Africa killed 69 people at Sharpeville. The whole world was outraged, except the big powers. This led to South Africa’s expulsion from world sport in 1961 and 1970. Israel has recently killed 65 000 Palestinians in a genocide. Compare this to Sharpeville. It has killed 450 Palestinian footballers and completely destroyed Palestinian football infrastructure.
Gianni Infantino, what infantile excuse will you offer before you and FIFA expel Israel? Keir Starmer, if a bloodbath occurs in Birmingham during Maccabi Tel Aviv’s match, then that is on you and your Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood.
RELEVANT LINKS
Apartheid
A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution | HRW
MDE1551412022ENGLISH.pdf
This is apartheid: The Israeli regime promotes and perpetuates Jewish supremacy between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River | B’Tselem
Genocide
B’Tselem’s Humanitarian Report in Gaza: Our Genocide
Genocide in Gaza | רופאים לזכויות אדם
Amnesty concludes Israel is committing genocide in Gaza
https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session60/advance-version/a-hrc-60-crp-3.pdf
FIFA and the IFA legitimising occupation football
https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/09/25/israel/palestine-fifa-sponsoring-games-seized-land
.https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/8/7/palestinian-footballer-suleiman-al-obeid-killed-while-seeking-aid-in-gaza
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/oct/01/discrimination-is-on-the-rise-again-in-football-we-must-remain-united-in-the-fight-against-it
Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1331085095232117
