BY: MAY RIEKENBERG| JULY 9, 2024
Many people love sports– in fact, 85% of internet users say they regularly watch sports. The opportunity to cheer for your favorite team can provide entertainment, distraction, or an escape from reality. But what if your team couldn’t play anymore? What if they were in an unsafe environment, fighting for resources and unable to focus on doing what they love?
This is the unfortunate reality faced by Palestinians as Israel’s siege on Gaza forces them into a humanitarian crisis.
Palestinian athletes are suffering, and many have been killed. Nagham Abu-Samra, a 27-year-old karate champion who would have competed at the Olympics this summer, was wounded in a missile strike leading to her death. Footballer Mohammed Barakat was killed when his house was bombed. Manager Yousef Al-Heela was killed in an airstrike. Volleyballer Ibrahim Qusaya and Olympic football coach Hani Al-Masdar were also killed by bombs. And these represent only a few among over 38,000 dead Palestinians, of which at least 243 were athletes according to the PFA. 43 of those athletes were children.
Of the Palestinians who still live, over 87,000 are injured, and most are constantly struggling for food and water, displaced from their homes and living in fear of another airstrike. There is little room for sports. Mohammed Abu-Hujair, a 17-year-old who had been invited to join a football academy in Spain and is now living in a refugee camp, said, “I’ve been robbed of my dreams. Instead of training every day, I am now living in a dilapidated tent where my biggest dream is to get back home.”
Other aspects of sports have been impacted as well. The clubs and stadiums where people used to gather for fun and recreation have either been destroyed or turned into shelters for refugees. Only five clubs and one stadium survive– now, Al-Dorra Stadium houses over 10,000 people. Stadiums have also been used for more than shelter. Al-Yarmouk Stadium, which was leveled, was also used as a place for Israeli forces to dehumanize captive Palestinian boys and men. What once provided an escape is now a haunting reminder of their reality.
Mass detention camp at Al-Yarmouk Stadium (Source: Sports Politika)
In the face of this crisis, there have been mixed shows of support. FIFA in particular has failed to support Palestine. The Palestine Football Association wrote a letter to FIFA asking that they suspend the Israeli Football Association due to excess human rights and humanitarian law violations during the war; on May 17th, at the annual FIFA Congress meeting, the proposal was postponed to a FIFA Council meeting in July to allow time for legal advice.
This is at least the fifth time that PFA has appealed to FIFA about Israel without seeing results, making this postponement possibly the latest in a series of deferrals. This is also a stark contrast with the action FIFA took against Russia following their invasion of Ukraine, banning them from international competition. Why isn’t Palestine granted the same support as a European nation?
Furthermore, FIFA has not spoken out in support of Palestine. Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, stood up for Qatar during the 2022 World Cup amidst criticism of its human rights record, but has been silent on the occupation in Palestine except for a condolence letter sent to the IFA on October 13th. Despite this letter’s proclamation that soccer should be a “vehicle for peace,” Infantino has not even made a call for a ceasefire.
While FIFA continues to disappoint Palestine, smaller organizations and individual players have offered support. The PFA’s appeal to FIFA was backed by the football associations of Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and Yemen. And many players have started speaking up on social media. Former French footballer Eric Cantona posted on Instagram saying, “Is there anyone left who would not call this a genocide?” Formula One Champion Lewis Hamilton posted, “This must stop – for the children, for their families, and for their lives.”
Many more athletes, particularly footballers, have come forward, both with their own words and by sharing the slogan “All Eyes on Rafah.” This slogan was frequently posted in the form of an AI-generated image depicting tent camps spread as far as the eye can see, with the words spelled out amongst the tents. While the slogan is a show of support, using an AI-generated image can be dehumanizing, effectively distancing viewers from the reality of the crisis.
AI-generated image reposted by millions on Instagram (Source: The Conversation)
While athletes around the world strive to raise awareness, Palestinians continue to fight. One way of resisting oppression is continuing to live, and many are doing just that. Against all odds, the Palestine Olympic Committee is working hard to send athletes to the 2024 Olympics. They have managed to evacuate some athletes, sending them to train in friendly countries. Palestine sent five athletes to the previous summer Olympics– Palestinian Olympic Committee technical director Nader Jayousi claimed that their goal was to “top that number,” and they have succeeded with six participating athletes (and a remotely possible seventh).
Palestinian athletes have worked hard to meet that goal. Omar Ismail raised hopes in March when he became the first Palestinian taekwondo player to qualify for the Olympics. Weightlifting champion Muhammad Hamada, who had kept up his training at the start of the war but lost significant weight when the famine started, trained hard in Qatar. Although he did not qualify, his dedication and resilience show Palestine’s determination to prove that they are still fighting. Ismail was the only athlete to directly qualify– the other five will compete under a wild card system.
Even though some of their athletes did not directly qualify, Palestine’s place at the Olympics is a statement in itself. Despite the bombings, the famine, the death, and all the tragedy Palestine has endured, they are still living. Jayousi stated, “There is a big message we need to get across, which is that we are not surrendering, we are not quitting. We will preserve the Palestinian identity, through sports, and show we are a peaceful people full of pride and respect for other nations.”
But Palestine cannot fight alone. And as people who are still able to sit behind the screen and casually watch sports, it is important that we understand the privilege of that reality– privilege that gives us an opportunity to help. Especially in the face of racially motivated silence from big organizations like FIFA, we need to focus on the individuals affected by this crisis. Direct donations to specific Palestinians and their families are a great way to help– Operation Olive Branch is a grassroots movement that organizes fundraisers for many families in need of aid. If you can’t donate, a free way to help is to simply boost and amplify their campaigns.
Palestinian athletes will continue to train, work, and fight. They have found escape in sports before over the 16-year blockade imposed on Gaza, and throughout this crisis they have even managed to send a record number of athletes to the Olympics. And as they and the rest of Palestine persevere, we must stand right there with them.
Works Cited
Admin. “Israeli Anger Is Growing at Palestinian Sports as a Way to Silence the Truth.” Palestine Chronicle, 6 May 2024, www.palestinechronicle.com/israeli-anger-is-growing-at-palestinian-sports-as-a-way-to-silence-the-truth/.
AJLabs. “Israel-Gaza War in Maps and Charts: Live Tracker.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 3 July 2024, www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker.
DODMAN, Benjamin, and Romain HOUEIX. “Palestinian Athletes Will ‘represent a Country, a History, a Cause’ at the Paris Olympics.” France 24, FRANCE 24, 4 Apr. 2024, www.france24.com/en/sport/20240404-palestinian-athletes-will-represent-a-country-a-history-a-cause-at-the-paris-olympics.
FIFA Orders Legal Review of Palestinian Call to Suspend Israel | Reuters, www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/fifa-orders-legal-review-palestinian-call-suspend-israel-2024-05-17/. Accessed 6 July 2024.
“FIFA to Seek Legal Advice on Palestinian Proposal to Suspend Israel from International Soccer.” AP News, AP News, 17 May 2024, apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-fifa-soccer-ca33eb89d7b310e8af5de11d6a09852d.
Petrequin, Samuel. “Six Athletes, Including One Woman, in Palestine Team for Paris Olympics.” AP News, AP News, 1 July 2024, apnews.com/article/palestine-paris-olympics-699aa7661a7150926046c5c1d286f8ca.
“Qatar Welcomes Palestinian Star Mohammed Hamada until the Paris Games .” International Weightlifting Federation, 3 June 2024, iwf.sport/2024/06/03/qatar-welcomes-palestinian-star-mohammed-hamada-until-the-paris-games/.
“Sporting Bodies Called out for Lack of Action on Palestine and Afghan Women.” Play the Game, www.playthegame.org/news/sporting-bodies-called-out-for-lack-of-action-on-palestine-and-afghan-women/. Accessed 6 July 2024.
Sports around the World, iccopr.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Sports-Around-the-World-report.pdf. Accessed 6 July 2024.
“Sports World Showing Support for Palestine.” Anadolu Ajansı, www.aa.com.tr/en/sports/sports-world-showing-support-for-palestine/3234483#:~:text=Barcelona’s%20Portuguese%20right%2Dback%20Joao,Beattie%20from%20Scotland%2C%20England’s%20Leah. Accessed 6 July 2024.
Zirin, Dave. “Palestine Shows up for FIFA. FIFA Turns Its Back on Palestine.” The Nation, 18 Mar. 2024, www.thenation.com/article/society/fifa-gianni-infantino-palestine-soccer/.
“‘I’ve Been Robbed of My Dreams’: The Sporting Tragedy of the War in Gaza.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 7 May 2024, www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/may/07/sporting-tragedy-war-in-gaza-israel-palestine.
