MEDIA RELEASE: Top European Footballers call on UEFA to drop Israel
04 December 2012
 
62 English Premier League and 1st division European footballers have issued an open letter in solidarity with Palestinians and condemning UEFA's upcoming hosting of its 2013 Under 21 tournament in Israel. Signatories to the open letter include Chelsea's Eden Hazard; Newcastle United's Papiss Cissé; former Seville striker, Frédéric Kanouté; Abou Diaby of Arsenal; Arnold Mvuemba of France's Olympique Lyonnais; and, former top Chelsea goal scorer, Didier Drogba (who is now a UN Goodwill Ambassador).

The open letter, posted on the official website of Frédéric Kanouté, reads:
 
"We, as European football players, express our solidarity with the [Palestinian] people of Gaza...the latest Israeli bombardment of Gaza, resulting in the death of over a hundred civilians, was yet another stain on the world's conscience.
 
"We are informed that on 10 November 2012 the Israeli army bombed a sports stadium in Gaza, resulting in the death of four young people playing football, Mohamed Harara and Ahmed Harara, 16 and 17 years old; Matar Rahman and Ahmed Al Dirdissawi, 18 years old.
 
"We are also informed that since February 2012 two footballers with the club Al Amari, Omar Rowis, 23, and Mohammed Nemer, 22, have been detained in Israel without charge or trial.

"It is unacceptable that children are killed while they play football. Israel hosting the UEFA Under-21 European Championship, in these circumstances, will be seen as a reward for actions that are contrary to sporting values."
 
Find the full statement and list of signatories below this media release.
 
There has been widespread international condemnation and calls for UEFA to respect the sports boycott of Israel and reverse its decision to host the 2013 UEFA U21 tournament in Israel. Earlier this year chairman of the Palestinian Football Federation, Jibril Rajoub, publicly appealed to the UEFA President, Michel Platini, to "not give Israel the honor of hosting the UEFA U21 Championship in 2013." 
 
In June, in a hard-hitting joint letter, Manchester United football legend, Eric Cantona, slammed Israeli "racism" and threw his weight behind the call for Israel not to host the 2013 UEFA U21 Championship: "Why are … [people] silent when Israel is to host the UEFA Under 21s competition in 2013? Racism, human rights abuses and gross violations of international law are daily occurrences in that country … it is time to end Israel’s impunity and to insist on the same standards of equality, justice and respect for international law that we demand of other states."

Locally a petition has been launched appealing to the South African Minister of Sports and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, to join the call to have UEFA reverse its decision to host the 2013 U21 Championships in Israel. The petition has the support of over a thousand signatories including former Minister in the Presidency, Essop Pahad; HIV/AIDS activist Zackie Achmat and others. It reads: "We are respectfully appealing to the South African Minister of Sport and Recreation, Comrade Fikile Mbalula, to join us in calling on UEFA to reverse its decision to host the 2013 U21 Championships in Israel. The Honorable Comrade Minister was himself part of the United Democratic Front and other structures of the South African liberation movement that championed the slogan 'no normal sport in an abnormal society'. In 2009, the South African Human Sciences Research Council found that Israel practices 'colonialism' and 'Apartheid'. To play sport in Israel, is indeed, playing in an abnormal society."

ISSUED BY MUHAMMED DESAI ON BEHALF OF BDS SOUTH AFRICA

BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA (BDS SOUTH AFRICA)
Office 915 | 9th Floor | Khotso House | 62 Marshall Street | Johannesburg
PO Box 2318 | Houghton | 2041 | Johannesburg
T: +27 (0) 11 492 2414 | M: +27 (0) 84 211 9988 | F: +27 (0) 86 650 4836
W: www.bdssouthafrica.com | E: administrator@bdssouthafrica.com
www.facebook.com/bdssouthafrica | www.twitter.com/bdssouthafrica

BDS South Africa is a registered Non-Profit Organization. NPO NUMBER: 084 306 NPO
BDS South Africa is a registered Public Benefit Organisation with Section 18A status. PBO NUMBER: 930 037 446



EUROPEAN FOOTBALLERS DECLARE SUPPORT FOR PALESTINE
- 29 Novemeber 2012
- www.kanoute.com/EUROPEAN-FOOTBALLERS-DECLARE-SUPPORT-FOR-PALESTINE_ad-id!35.ks
 
We, as European football players, express our solidarity with the people of Gaza who are living under siege and denied basic human dignity and freedom. The latest Israeli bombardment of Gaza, resulting in the death of over a hundred civilians, was yet another stain on the world’s conscience.
 
We are informed that on 10 November 2012 the Israeli army bombed a sports stadium in Gaza, resulting in the death of four young people playing football, Mohamed Harara and Ahmed Harara, 16 and 17 years old; Matar Rahman and Ahmed Al Dirdissawi, 18 years old.
 
We are also informed that since February 2012 two footballers with the club Al Amari, Omar Rowis, 23, and Mohammed Nemer, 22, have been detained in Israel without charge or trial.
 
It is unacceptable that children are killed while they play football. Israel hosting the UEFA Under-21 European Championship, in these circumstances, will be seen as a reward for actions that are contrary to sporting values.
 
Despite the recent ceasefire, Palestinians are still forced to endure a desperate existence under occupation, they must be protected by the international community. All people have the right to a life of dignity, freedom and security. We hope that a just settlement will finally emerge.
 
- Gael Angoula, Bastia Sporting Club (France)
- Karim Ait-Fana, Montpellier HSC (France)
- André Ayew, Olympique de Marseille (France)
- Jordan Ayew, Olympique de Marseille (France)
- Demba Ba, Newcastle United (UK)
- Abdoulaye Baldé, AC Lumezzane (Italia)
- Chahir Belghazouani, AC Ajaccio (France)
- Leon Best, Blackburn Rovers Football Club (UK)
- Ryad Boudebouz, Football Club Sochaux Montbéliard (France)
- Yacine Brahimi, Granada Football Club (Spain)
- Jonathan Bru, Melbourne Victory (Australia)
- Yohan Cabaye, Newcastle United (UK)
- Aatif Chahechouche, Sivasspor Kulübü (Turkey)
- Pascal Chimbonda, Doncaster Rovers Football Club (UK)
- Papiss Cissé, Newcastle United (UK)
- Omar Daf, Football Club Sochaux Montbéliard (France)
- Issiar Dia, Lekhwiya (Qatar)
- Abou Diaby, Arsenal Football Club (UK)
- Alou Diarra, Olympique de Marseille (France)
- Soulaymane Diawara, Olympique de Marseille (France)
- Samba Diakité, Queens Park Rangers (UK)
- Pape Diop, West Ham United (UK)
- Abdoulaye Doucouré, Stade Rennais Football Club (France)
- Didier Drogba, Shanghaï Shenhua (China)
- Ibrahim Duplus, Football Club Sochaux Montbéliard (France)
- Soudani El-Arabi Hilal, Vitoria Sport Club Guimares (Portugal)
- Jires Kembo Ekoko, Al Ain Football Club (United Arab Emirates)
- Nathan Ellington, Ipswich Town Football Club (UK)
- Rod Fanni, Olympique de Marseille (France)
- Doudou Jacques Faty, Sivassport Kulübü (Turkey)
- Ricardo Faty, AC Ajaccio (France)
- Chris Gadi, Olympique de Marseille (France)
- Remi Gomis, FC Valenciennes (France)
- Florent Hanin, SC Braga (Portugal)
- Eden Hazard, Chelsea Football Club (UK)
- Charles Kaboré, Olympique de Marseille (France)
- Diomansy Kamara, Eskisehispor Kulübü (Turkey)
- Frédéric Kanouté, Beijin Guoan (China)
- Anthony Le Tallec, AJ Auxerre (France)
- Djamal Mahamat, Sporting Braga (Portugal)
- Steve Mandanda, Olympique de Marseille (France)
- Kader Manganne, Al Hilal Riyad Football Club (Saudi Arabia)
- Sylvain Marveaux, Newcastle United (UK)
- Nicolas Maurice-Belay, FC Girondins de Bordeaux (France)
- Cheikh M’bengué, Toulouse Football Club (France)
- Jérémy Menez, Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (France)
- Arnold Mvuemba, Olympique Lyonnais (France)
- Laurent Nardol, Chartres Football Club (France)
- Mahamadou N’diaye, Vitoria Sport Club Guimares (Portugal)
- Mamadou Niang, Al-Sadd SC (Qatar)
- Mbaye Niang, SM Caen (France)
- Fabrice Numeric, FK Slovan Duslo Sala (Slovakia)
- Billel Omrani, Olympique de Marseille (France)
- Lamine Sané, FC Girondins de Bordeaux (France)
- Mamady Sidibé, Stoke City Football Club (UK)
- Momo Sissoko, Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (France)
- Cheikh Tioté, Newcastle United (UK)
- AdamaTraoré, Melbourne Victory (Australia)
- Armand Traoré, Queen Park Rangers FC (UK)
- Djimi Traore, Olympique de Marseille (France)
- Moussa Sow, Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü (Turkey)
- Hassan Yebda, Granada Football Club (Spain)
Powered by YMLP.com