FIFA Implements Double Standards on Israel (By: Fadli Zon)

By: Fadli Zon; Deputy President of the World Parliamentary League for Palestine, Member of Indonesian Parliament.

The International Football Federation (FIFA) on Wednesday, March 29 2023, officially announced the cancellation of Indonesia as the host for the 2023 U20 World Cup. In its written statement, FIFA stated that this cancellation was due to the “current situation” in Indonesia.

The “current situation” that FIFA means is unclear and seems to cover up what it means. However, one of the current situations could be the matter of the hectic rejection by various groups of the arrival plan of Israel U20 national football team to Indonesia.

As a global football organization, FIFA should be able to accommodate the interests of all countries, including understanding that for a number of countries, especially some Muslim countries, Israel is not only just a sporting issue, but also a serious political and humanitarian issue.

Thus, FIFA should not place or impose its rules in a higher position than the rule of law, even the constitution of a country. Defending Israel’s interests, while ignoring the aspirations of other countries that have a firm political line towards Israel, has made FIFA have a double standard in football politics.

Unfortunately, so far FIFA has indeed implemented a double standard in football politics. There are at least two reasons why we think of FIFA as such.

First, FIFA is inconsistent with the ban on the politicization of football. When FIFA and UEFA imposed sanctions prohibiting the Russian national team and clubs from participating in all competitions under FIFA and UEFA, and prohibiting Belarusian clubs and national teams from playing matches at home as a sanction for their support to Russia in the Ukraine war, was that not political ban?

When FIFA screamed loudly about Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but turns a blind eye to Israeli colonialism and apartheid politics against the Palestinian people, is the choice of attitude not political?

So, since when can football be separated from politics? FIFA clearly has a politic interests and it is real.

Like it or not, football can never be separated from politics. This sport, which can gather millions of people and billions of spectators, can indeed become a strategic political stage. Thus, the demands not mix sports and politics is an unreasonable rule. Especially, because FIFA itself proved to be disobedient.

Second, FIFA demanded all countries treat Israeli athletes fairly, even though Israel itself has never treated athletes and the Palestinian sports fairly. Although it is not exposed much by the international ‘mainstream’ media, it is no secret that the Israeli military has targeted Palestinian athletes in their attacks.

In November 2006, for example, the Israeli military prohibited all Palestinian football athletes from participating in the final match of the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) qualifying group stage.

An action that is not easy to forget is when Israel did not allow Palestinian team players and officials to participate in the 2010 World Cup qualifying match against Singapore.

Israel’s evil actions in 2007 have hampered the opportunity for the Palestinian national team in the World Cup. Unfortunately, instead of defending the Palestinian athlete and condemning Israel, FIFA instead decided to give Singapore an automatic 3-0 win. In fact, we know, in the last 2022 World Cup qualifying match, the Palestinian national team beated Singapore with 4-0.

Palestinian stadiums are frequently bombed during Israel’s brutal war on Gaza. That is why, for years the Palestinian national team has only been able to hold home matches in Jordan or Qatar. And their training camp is far away in Ismailia, Egypt.

The Israeli army’s deadly attacks not only target sports facilities, but also Palestinian athletes. In January 2009, for example, three Palestinian footballers, Ayman Alkurd, Shadi Sbakhe and Wajeh Moshtaha, were killed by an Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip. Two months later, Saji Darwish, an 18-year-old youth player, was killed by an Israeli sniper near Ramallah.

In July, still in 2009, Mahmoud Sarsak, a player for the Palestinian national team, was arrested and tortured by the Israeli military for three years. Although he was eventually released, permanent health problems resulting from the torture he suffered while in Israeli custody have killed his sporting career.

The arrest, torture and killing of Palestinian footballers has become routine news in Palestine. The Israeli military has deliberately shot young Palestinian players in the legs on various occasions, especially when they were crossing military checkpoints.

In 2019, the Israeli military attacked the Al Khader Stadium in Bethlehem with tear gas, which is similar to last year’s Kanjuruhan Tragedy, Malang. And most recently, on December 22, 2022, the Israeli army shot dead Ahmad Atef Daraghma, a footballer from the Thaqafi club, and injured 24 other people, in an attack and brutal action in the city of Nablus, West Bank.

So, it is irrelevant if FIFA defends Israeli athletes under the pretext of “fair play”. The Israeli athletes should be responsible for the brutal and unfair actions committed by their government against athletes and the world of Palestinian sports.

These two reasons are enough to show that so far FIFA has been unfair and applied double standards in football “policy”.

Indonesia’s omission as host for the 2023 U-20 World Cup is indeed detrimental to the world of football in the country in the short term. However, with this write-off, we as a nation have not lost our face.

If we still have to accept the arrival of Israeli athletes, we actually have lowered the constitution and foreign policy line under FIFA rules. In fact, throughout the history of this Republic, we have hosted various international sporting events. But that position has never made us lose our principles and degrade the morals that have been upheld.

Don’t forget, Indonesia is the first country in the world to have boycotted Israel’s participation in sporting events. As the host of the 1962 Asian Games IV in 1962, we once refused the Israeli delegation.

Although as a result of that decision we had to accept a suspension from the IOC (International Olympic Committee), but recently this precedent received official support from the AGF (Asian Games Federation). Ahead of the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok, AGF officially sanctioned and boycotted the Israeli delegation for security reasons.

In 1981, AGF went so far as to even expel Israel from the OCA (Olympic Council of Asia). Then, in 1983, it was the turn of the IAAF (International Amateur Athletic Federation) to support Israel’s expulsion from the Asian Games. So, if today we open ourselves up to the Israeli contingent, that would be a big setback.

Israel has used sports, including football, as a diplomatic tool to whitenize discriminatory practices, human rights violations, and war crimes they have committed against the Palestinian people. So, if Israeli athletes are accepted into Indonesia, which is the largest Muslim country in the world, this will be a diplomatic victory for them, as well as a big loss for us.

Since its founding in 1948, Israel has carried out massive and cruel land grabs against Palestinians. The dispossession, displacement and slaughter of Palestinians in their own homes is an important pillar of Israel’s apartheid government. It is a form of crime against humanity.

In 2022, Amnesty International said that the Israeli authorities must be held accountable for committing apartheid crimes against Palestinians.

Amnesty International’s investigation has detailed how Israel enforces repression against the Palestinian people. In the 182-page report entitled “Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity”, it is fully documented how the politics of land and property grabbing on a large scale -mass, as well as extrajudicial killings carried out by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people.

Based on these findings, Amnesty International has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to consider this apartheid crime and called on all countries to exercise universal jurisdiction to bring the perpetrators of apartheid crimes to justice.

So, for Indonesia, the issue of entry permits for Israeli football players is not just a matter of sport, but a matter of principle.

There is no other solution that can be accepted by FIFA, thus causing Indonesia to finally lose its position as host, showing that the football organization is still not free from double standards.

FIFA only defends Israel’s interests, but ignores the positions and opinions of other countries regarding the colonial country. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)