Rabat, MINA – Algerian lawyers announced a boycott of a football match for lawyers, scheduled to start on Saturday in Morocco, due to Israeli participation.
This came in a statement issued on Thursday evening by the Algiers Lawyers Organisation team, which was invited to participate in the competition, MEMO reports.
The statement disclosed: “The team decided to boycott the football tournament for lawyers (in Morocco), not to participate in it, and to refrain from entering Moroccan territory. The team decided to return from Tunisia, where it was on its way to participate.”
The statement explained that the decision came: “After officially confirming the participation of teams from Israel in the competition that will be held in an Arab country. This constitutes a step towards normalisation with Israel, which goes against the principles of the Algerian government and people who reject any form of normalisation and who show solidarity with the Palestinian people and their just cause.”
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The Moroccan city of Marrakesh is scheduled to host the 20th football championship for lawyers from Saturday until 15 May, with the participation of Israeli teams.
Algeria is one of the Arab and Muslim countries that does not have diplomatic or trade relations with Israel. Its authorities say that normalising relations is not possible without establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and implementing the terms of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
Algerian organisations and athletes have previously boycotted international meetings and competitions because of Israeli participants. (T/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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