‘Sport is part of our resistance’: Palestine football chief Jibril Rajoub
1 year, 1 month ago

‘Sport is part of our resistance’: Palestine football chief Jibril Rajoub

Al Jazeera  

Rajoub talks to Al Jazeera about the Palestinian football team’s preparation amid the war, their plans for the future and why sport plays a crucial role in Palestine. Doha, Qatar – Palestine’s football team made history by recording their first win in the AFC Asian Cup and qualifying for the knockout stage of the 2023 edition of the tournament in Qatar. In an exclusive interview after last week’s win, Palestine Football Association President Jibril Rajoub told Al Jazeera how the team is determined to carry on despite the war back home, how football’s governing body FIFA can “do more” to help the Palestinians and what the future holds for Palestinian athletes. Jibril Rajoub: We, the Palestinian football family, believe that the sport can be a good tool to expose the suffering of the Palestinian people and to highlight their determination and commitment to achieving their goals.

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History of this topic

Palestinian FA reveals World Cup qualifying team with stark video from Gaza
1 week ago

Palestinian FA reveals World Cup qualifying team with stark video from Gaza

CNN  

CNN — In the world of modern soccer, it’s not just the action on the field that pulls at the heart strings. The video of the Palestinian team selection for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Jordan and Iraq is one of the starkest examples of this trend. Set amidst the clearly harrowing conditions in Gaza, the Palestine FA video …

Palestine's Fight for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Despite War on Gaza
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Palestine's Fight for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Despite War on Gaza

Al Jazeera  

Palestine's quest to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 despite Israel's war on Gaza underscores the team's determination to overcome the devastation caused by the war. Despite the obstacles, coach Makram Daboub and his squad retain a chance of representing Palestine at the 2026 finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Lebanon indefinitely postpones all football matches amid Israel’s attacks
6 months ago

Lebanon indefinitely postpones all football matches amid Israel’s attacks

Al Jazeera  

Football matches in all tournaments have been postponed due to Israeli attacks, the Lebanese Football Association said. The Lebanese Football Association has postponed all football matches in its affiliated domestic tournaments indefinitely in the wake of Israel’s attacks in southern Lebanon and rising fears of an all-out war. At least 558 people, including 50 children, have been killed and 1,835 …

Asian Football Confederation back Palestine’s bid to have Israel suspended from Fifa
10 months, 1 week ago

Asian Football Confederation back Palestine’s bid to have Israel suspended from Fifa

The Independent  

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Asian Football Confederation gave its backing to …

Palestine FA demands Israel be kicked out of Fifa
11 months, 1 week ago

Palestine FA demands Israel be kicked out of Fifa

The Independent  

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The clearest example of this is ‘Beitar Jerusalem FC’, which is an …

Palestinian soccer renews call for sanctions against Israel at FIFA congress amid Hamas conflict
11 months, 1 week ago

Palestinian soccer renews call for sanctions against Israel at FIFA congress amid Hamas conflict

Associated Press  

GENEVA — Calls for action against Israel in international soccer because of the conflict with Hamas will be stepped up by Palestinian officials at the annual FIFA congress next month. The Palestine Football Association proposal to 211 member federations in Thailand calls for “appropriate sanctions, with immediate effect, against Israeli teams,” according to FIFA documents released late Wednesday, one month …

‘I’ve lost everything’: Palestine footballer Balah on Israel’s war on Gaza
11 months, 3 weeks ago

‘I’ve lost everything’: Palestine footballer Balah on Israel’s war on Gaza

Al Jazeera  

Gaza-born forward Mohammed Balah tells Al Jazeera how the war has brought his promising football career to a halt. It had barely been three months since Palestinian international footballer Mohammed Balah made his long-awaited return to Al Sadaqa Football Club in Gaza when Israel launched its war on the strip following the October 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel. Born …

Palestinians call for FIFA to ban Israel’s football team amid war on Gaza
1 year ago

Palestinians call for FIFA to ban Israel’s football team amid war on Gaza

Al Jazeera  

Football’s world governing body faces backlash for ‘hypocritical’ silence as Israel faces Iceland as the war rages on. The calls from Palestinians and their supporters for the sport’s world governing body to take actoin against Israel have grown in the past months, with comparisons being drawn with its instant and firm stance to ban Russia and Russian football clubs from …

‘In Gaza, football is the only escape’: Palestine star Mahmoud Wadi on war
1 year ago

‘In Gaza, football is the only escape’: Palestine star Mahmoud Wadi on war

Al Jazeera  

Wadi talks to Al Jazeera about growing up in Gaza amid wars, leaving it to follow his dream and the struggles of being a Palestinian footballer amidst the ongoing war in Gaza. On October 7, Palestinian footballer Mahmoud Wadi was recovering from an injury in Egypt when Israel launched its war on Gaza, following the Hamas attacks on southern Israel. …

Palestine national team train amid ‘constant feeling of anxiety’
1 year, 2 months ago

Palestine national team train amid ‘constant feeling of anxiety’

Al Jazeera  

For the best part of three months, Rami Hamadi and his teammates have trained together, eaten together, played together and watched the tragedy in Gaza unfold from afar together, too. “It’s not a good situation for playing or for living, because of what is happening to our people in Gaza,” says Hamadi, the goalkeeper of the Palestine national football team. …

‘No place for genocide’: Qatar football fans stand for Gaza against Israel
1 year, 3 months ago

‘No place for genocide’: Qatar football fans stand for Gaza against Israel

Al Jazeera  

Thousands of football fans gather to help raise funds and show solidarity with the people of Gaza, amid Israel’s war. Doha, Qatar – While football players and fans around the world are being reprimanded for displays of solidarity with Palestine, thousands gathered at the Education City Stadium in Qatar to show their support and help raise money for Palestinians facing …

‘Many players have died’: Israel’s war on Gaza hits Palestinian football
1 year, 4 months ago

‘Many players have died’: Israel’s war on Gaza hits Palestinian football

Al Jazeera  

As Palestine prepare for upcoming World Cup qualifiers, footballers are subjected to the wrath of Israeli violence. Palestinian football survived the upheaval of the second Intifada from 2000 to 2005, deepening occupation, and five Israeli wars on Gaza, with the national team successfully qualifying for three straight Asian Cup competitions. The striker has only intermittent contact with his family and …

Sport weekly: Football speaks out on the Israel-Hamas war
1 year, 5 months ago

Sport weekly: Football speaks out on the Israel-Hamas war

Al Jazeera  

Football federations have been urged to speak out on the violence, and even take sides, while some fans have been told to shut up. This comes amid controversy over a Scottish Premiership game last Saturday, in which The Green Brigade, a Celtic ultras group, waved Palestinian flags and banners saying “Free Palestine” and “Victory to the Resistance”. Many Celtic fans …

Morocco champions Palestine cause, Palestinians say FIFA World Cup proves their cause not ‘buried’
2 years, 3 months ago

Morocco champions Palestine cause, Palestinians say FIFA World Cup proves their cause not ‘buried’

The Hindu  

Morocco’s support for the Palestinians during the Atlas Lions’ historic World Cup run shows the cause has not been “buried”, says Palestinian Football Association chief Jibril Rajoub. “The World Cup reveals the lie that the Palestinian cause has been buried by the recent normalisation agreements” said Rajoub, who is also the secretary general of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah movement. …

Impunity and indifference: Attacks on Palestinians increase
2 years, 3 months ago

Impunity and indifference: Attacks on Palestinians increase

Al Jazeera  

The killings of Palestinians are being documented as they happen – and yet the violence isn’t easing. Israel’s incoming government, elected six weeks ago, is shaping up as the most extreme in the country’s history – waging war on media workers, then trying to cover up its crimes. Contributors: Yara Hawari – Senior policy analyst, al-Shabaka Diana Buttu – Human …

World Cup 2022: Palestine beats Israel on football’s big stage
2 years, 3 months ago

World Cup 2022: Palestine beats Israel on football’s big stage

Al Jazeera  

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar is still underway, but there is already one early winner: Palestine. Looking at the abundant number of Palestinian flags, seeing the Palestinian armbands and bracelets, and hearing the “free Palestine” chants at the stadiums, fan zones, in the streets and on social media, one may think that Palestine is among the 32 countries whose …

Arab teams turn Qatar World Cup into a ‘home’ tournament
2 years, 4 months ago

Arab teams turn Qatar World Cup into a ‘home’ tournament

Al Jazeera  

With their unexpectedly good results and shared excitement, Arab fans unite to celebrate their teams’ heroics on the pitch. Doha, Qatar – Like thousands of other Saudi fans, Muhammad al-Dabbagh travelled by car last week to Qatar to watch live the first-ever World Cup to be held in the Middle East. “Had it not been in Qatar,” he said, “it …

Israeli-Palestinian conflict catches up with Qatar World Cup
2 years, 4 months ago

Israeli-Palestinian conflict catches up with Qatar World Cup

Associated Press  

DOHA, Qatar — It was uncharted territory for the Israeli journalist. People were cursing and threatening us.” Palestinian fans from across the Arab world — including descendants of those who fled or were forced from their homes in the 1948 war over Israel’s creation — traipsed through the streets of Doha this week draped in Palestinian flags. A group of …

Palestinians wave their flag high at the Qatar World Cup
2 years, 4 months ago

Palestinians wave their flag high at the Qatar World Cup

Al Jazeera  

Palestinians living in Qatar, as well as those visiting, are taking advantage of the world’s attention on the World Cup to make their flag prominent. “The World Cup has given us a platform to make our voice heard,” Bader, a Palestinian based in Qatar, told Al Jazeera during a night of festivities in Lusail, home to Qatar’s biggest stadium, which …

Palestine football criticises planned Barcelona game in Jerusalem
3 years, 8 months ago

Palestine football criticises planned Barcelona game in Jerusalem

Al Jazeera  

The Palestinian Football Association head says the planned friendly in Jerusalem is a violation of rights. The Palestinian Football Association has criticised a planned exhibition match in Jerusalem involving Spanish side Barcelona. In a letter to the world governing body FIFA, PFA chairman Jibril Rajoub said Jerusalem has been declared a divided city in a United Nations resolution and that …

Top footballers unite in solidarity with Palestinians
3 years, 10 months ago

Top footballers unite in solidarity with Palestinians

Al Jazeera  

As Israeli bombardment continues in Gaza, sporting stars from the UK to Chile raise the Palestinian flag and post messages of support. Letter to Hamza Choudhury and Wesley Fofana, Leicester Football Club, who used the occasion of the FA cup triumph to show solidarity with the Palestinian people 🇵🇸🙏🏽✌🏽✊@Wesley_Fofanaa@HamzaChoudhury1@LCFC #SavePalestine #Jerusalem #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/1gSm7tJnH8 — Husam Zomlot May 15, 2021 ‘Pray …

FIFA says acting over Palestinan FA chief's Messi comment
6 years, 9 months ago

FIFA says acting over Palestinan FA chief's Messi comment

The Hindu  

FIFA said Thursday it has started disciplinary proceedings against the Palestinian Football Association's chief, after he called for protest against Lionel Messi and his plan to play with Argentina in Jerusalem. “The FIFA disciplinary committee has opened disciplinary proceedings against the president of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub,” a spokesman for the world body said in a statement to …

FIFA: Palestine’s own-goal
9 years, 9 months ago

FIFA: Palestine’s own-goal

Al Jazeera  

The backlash against the Palestine Football Association adds to the frustration with the PA’s ineptitude and duplicity. Similarly, the backlash over the Palestine Football Association dropping its threat to seek Israel’s suspension from FIFA is about much more than the sport itself. At best, Israel is likely to continue hampering Palestinian football without giving quite enough cause for a full-on …

For Israel, Soccer Becomes A Geopolitical Football
9 years, 10 months ago

For Israel, Soccer Becomes A Geopolitical Football

NPR  

For Israel, Soccer Becomes A Geopolitical Football Enlarge this image toggle caption Majdi Mohammed/AP Majdi Mohammed/AP The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has moved to the soccer field. Palestinian soccer officials put the proposal on FIFA's agenda, saying Israeli policies hurt Palestinian players and the sport's development and break FIFA's own rules. Sponsor Message "The violations of FIFA statues by the Israeli football …

Palestine FA to push for Israel ban at FIFA congress
9 years, 10 months ago

Palestine FA to push for Israel ban at FIFA congress

Al Jazeera  

Palestine FA continues to pursue dialogue but wants Israel suspended from international football, says its president. The Palestine FA will not drop its proposal for a vote at the FIFA Congress to suspend Israel from international football although it will continue to pursue dialogue, its president Jibril Rajoub said. Rajoub met his Israeli counterpart Ofer Eini and FIFA president Sepp …

Is it time for a sporting boycott of Israel?
10 years, 7 months ago

Is it time for a sporting boycott of Israel?

Al Jazeera  

Palestinians says occupying force should face sports and cultural boycott. The national stadium and the offices of the Palestinian Football Association still bear the scars of the last Israeli campaign in 2009. The president of the PFA, Jibril Rajoub, told Al Jazeera that even in calmer times players face harassment from Israeli security forces and are prevented from travelling abroad …

Should Israel be kicked out of FIFA?
10 years, 11 months ago

Should Israel be kicked out of FIFA?

Al Jazeera  

Palestine football is seeking expulsion for Israel since restrictions on player movements is affecting their performance The Palestinian Football Association is seeking a FIFA ban on their Israeli counterparts after years of seeing football flounder under occupation. Only threats and pressure will force the Israeli government to take action by Uzi Dann, Haaretz's international sports editor In addition to the …

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