History of Palestine Sports

2026-09-01T08:28:22.393-07:00

Palestinian Sports Faces ‘Existential’ Crisis as Death Toll Reaches 1,014

2026-08-14T09:34:44.126-07:00

Cheering the World Cup through Genocide

2026-07-11T19:29:49.617-07:00

Where Fair Play Ends: FIFA’s Biggest Injustice isn’t to Egypt; It’s to Gaza

2026-07-02T07:08:01.871-07:00

Israel Kills Palestinian Goalkeeper as World Cup Fans Rally for Palestine

2026-06-30T15:15:23.396-07:00

What should football fans do to avoid funding Israel's crimes?

2026-06-14T08:04:44.731-07:00

2026 World Cup: When FIFA’s Human Rights Commitments Collapse under US Power

2026-06-13T09:20:17.355-07:00

Palestinian football chief denied entry to US in latest case of World Cup travel restrictions

2026-06-11T13:37:30.705-07:00

Gaza genocide has illuminated the world's racism, hypocrisy and double standards in a way that can never be concealed again. FIFA seems to have no principle when it comes to Israel. It is powerless to apply its constitution to Israel's Gaza genocide.

2026-06-11T13:23:54.138-07:00

Sports in Mandate Palestine

2026-06-11T12:52:29.175-07:00

A long and precarious journey to play soccer

2026-06-07T19:01:03.203-07:00

'Acts of Revenge': Israel Arrests Palestinian Women Footballers and Students

2026-05-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

Infantino peace making falls embarrassingly flat as Palestine’s Rajoub refuses to be coerced into Israeli handshake

2026-04-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

Palestinian Football Body Appeals FIFA Ruling on Israel at Top Sports Court

Rozan: From the Racetrack to One-Legged Champion

2026-04-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

By Nelly Al-Masri

“I cradled my severed leg, clutching it to my chest as I bled profusely from my injury inside the ambulance. I imagined it would be reattached—but I found myself rushing towards an unknown road, far removed from the days when the very ground of Gaza’s sports fields kept in time with my running strides.”

This is the testimony of young runner Rozan Khaira, who is 24 years old from Gaza City, when she recounted the painful moment of her injury. The incident occurred when an Israeli aircraft struck her residential neighborhood in Tel al-Hawa, which is located in the western part of Gaza City. This took place during the genocide war the occupation forces committed after October 7, 2023.

In the middle of the night of November 23, 2023, at 11:00 PM, Rozan fell asleep in utter bliss. In the days leading up to November 24, 2023, she had just heard the news about a ceasefire truce that would go into effect the next day. As she recalls, "The Israeli bombardment that night was intense. We had just finished spending the evening as a family together-my immediate family and our relatives who had sought refuge with us. It was a day of joy, because the bombing finally stopped the following day. It was at this very moment that my heart fluttered like a butterfly soaring with joy, as we got to bed. ‘The bombing will stop,’ I kept telling myself."

“I woke up suddenly to the sound of shelling, and debris flew all around me. I saw everyone running, and I wondered to myself: ‘Where am I?’ The first thing I thought was that this must have been the nightmare I was dreaming of; I couldn’t grasp what was going on at that moment. In an attempt to run, just like my family, I took one step only to collapse back on the ground. I hopped on one leg until I reached the living room, still completely unaware of the fact that I had been injured. My family stared at me in shock when I turned toward them, and that's when I found out that I had been injured."

She fell silent as tears streamed down her cheeks. She continued:

“After our neighbors' home was hit by six missiles, my room was the only one damaged by shelling in the house. During the attack, I sustained a severe injury to the heel of my other foot, as well as seven other wounds around my body due to a shrapnel piece that struck me and instantly severed my leg.”

As a member of an athletic family, Rozan inherited her passion for sports from her relatives. Her uncle, Rizq Khayra, is one of the most prominent football players in Gaza Sports Club, while her sister plays soccer for both the Al-Mashtal and Palestinian clubs, and the brother is a boxer. As for Rozan herself, she is deeply passionate about sport and pursued it with her family's support. With her father personally overseeing her training alongside other female athletes at the local track and field competitions, she regularly competed in local track and field competitions. In the mornings, before she headed off to work in the media and marketing department, she would spend some time at the sports center.

“As soon as the shelling started, we fled the house immediately. All I was able to do was pray, as my leg was attached to nothing but a strip of skin. My father had to carry me down to the ground floor, to my grandfather's apartment, while everyone else looked on in disbelief. I was bleeding profusely from my leg at the time, and the hemorrhage lasted for over an hour. Ambulances were not available. All the major hospitals - Al-Shifa, Al-Quds, Al-Sadeeq, and Al-Ahli - were either under siege or had ceased operations completely, so they could not accept casualties."

“Eventually, Civil Defense teams were called to the scene and began searching for the injured. There was a tragedy in that the very house that had been bombed served as an obstacle that prevented them from being able to access the area. In order to reach me, they had to navigate through other shelled buildings. After being transported to Al-Daraj Health Center, I found out that it was an entirely devoid of medical resources, lacking even the basic medical supplies like gauze. And there, something happened that I could never have imagined."

She closed her eyes, as if trying to erase the events that happened from her life: “Overwhelmed with the pain, I recited the verses of the Quran that I had committed to memory. In order to distract me from the procedure he was about to perform, the doctor asked me to recite it aloud. Immediately after my leg was amputated without anesthesia, he placed it in a cardboard box beside me and placed the box beside me. Under those circumstances, only the injured patient is transported in an ambulance to the health center, so I was alone; no one accompanied me to the health center."

"In order to stop the bleeding, I was transferred to the Indonesian hospital in the northern Gaza Strip where I underwent surgery in order to stop the bleeding. At the time, this was the only functioning hospital left in Gaza. This was the first time I had ever laid eyes on an amputated limb. I was in a state of shock as I clutched my leg, holding it close to me in a state of shock."

“To gain access to the hospital, we had to obtain a permit from the occupation authority, which was facilitated by the Red Cross. When I got to the hospital at midnight, they laid me down on the floor. There were no doctors, nurses, or medical equipment of any kind present. As the bleeding continued until dawn, my hemoglobin level, which was 12.5, plummeted to 3.5 grams per deciliter from its previous level of 12.5. Actually, I was hoping surgery would stop the bleeding. I was informed by the doctor that no general anesthesia was available—only local anesthesia was available—and that the amputation site would have to be cleaned without any anesthetic whatsoever. Despite my reluctance, I consented. It was just moments later, however, that the occupation forces suddenly shelled the second floor of the hospital. Due to the sheer number of casualties caused by that bombardment, I had lost all hope of being able to undergo surgery. An operation was performed hours later. It was to our surprise that the occupation forces raided the hospital from the rear, making it imperative for us to evacuate as quickly as possible.”

“As they carried me out of the room, we were unable to locate a single car-not even a donkey's cart to help us get to our destination. Eventually, we found a shopping cart that belonged to a nearby supermarket; my father placed me in it, and we began our journey toward Gaza City. As a result, the situation was absolutely terrifying; quad copter drones swarmed the sky, and we lived in constant fear that the occupation forces would arrest or kill us at any moment. I was carried 12 kilometers on foot by my father until we finally reached my home. It felt as if we were being chased by the very horrors of Judgment Day.”

When they returned home two weeks later, the house was bombed while they were inside. Despite the enormity of the situation, they miraculously survived and crawled out of the rubble. During the incident, Rozan sustained a severe back injury, and her father suffered critical injuries that ultimately led to the amputations of both his legs. Additionally, her brother sustained a severe fracture to his hand and back, requiring him to undergo surgery involving insertion of metal plates. Her sister also suffered a pelvic fracture, her niece was injured in the palm of her hand, and her mother was injured in the metatarsal bones of her foot. Her family was forced to flee to her aunt's home in the Al-Sahaba neighborhood, in the center of Gaza City, because all of them had been injured. Consequently, her sister was left to care for them, as everyone had been injured.

As a result of her injury, Rozan had to endure unimaginable hardships in the midst of repeated displacements. As she recounts: "Throughout the shelling, everyone scrambled to save themselves, while I waited for someone to rescue me. We were forced to flee abruptly, and I asked myself: 'Who would carry me?' It was incredibly hard."

"We were ordered to evacuate the area two weeks later, so we headed to the Al-Jalaa neighborhood in the centre of Gaza City where we currently reside. However, the occupation forces besieged the area again in January 2024 after the area was besieged once more. We were stranded for a week without food or water, observing absolute silence out of fear that the soldiers would attack us. I lost consciousness almost constantly, and I developed infections and fungal growths as a result of not having gauze available to cover my wounds."

She added: "When I reached out to the schools and clinics seeking medical attention, I was told that I would need to be taken to a hospital because the remaining portion of my leg had to be removed. Leaving the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in eastern Gaza, we held up a white flag until we reached the neighborhood. It was a very long journey for me, as my leg bled profusely. I was not able to get food or medicines; neighbors sometimes offered me one antibiotic pill or one painkiller (Acamol).”

“My body would suffer sustained tremors along with episodes of loss of consciousness that sometimes last for long periods of time, which would delay wound dressings, even though the procedure was supposed to be performed inside the operating room.”

The painful saga of displacement continues for Rozan and her family. This time, they were forced to flee to the Jordanian Hospital in the Tal al-Hawa district, in western Gaza City. Their departure was akin to a smuggling operation due to the presence of occupation forces in the area.

As she continues, "My wounds did not heal for six months because my leg bandages remained unchanged for a week." As a result of the original surgery, a nurse discovered that gunpowder residue was left inside the wound after it had been closed. Since it had not been thoroughly cleaned before the incision was closed, the doctor had to remove the stitches and clean the wound a second time."

"We endured a grueling displacement journey, from one university campus to another, then to the Al-Daraj district, and finally back to Al-Jalaa where we stayed for the next four months," she continues. Our family spent one month displaced in Al-Zawaida, a central Gaza Strip area. When our homes were destroyed, we had to flee again, and this time we ended up staying at my sister's house."

Rozan refused to surrender to her injury, despite its severity. She is a vibrant, spirited individual determined to press forward with both her personal life and athletic career. She notes, however, that the prosthetic limb she currently uses is cumbersome—weighing approximately five kilograms—and ill-fitting, making it difficult for her to move around. This limb was amputated in several hospitals before being fitted with a prosthetic limb by the Red Cross. This was a process which eventually enabled her to stand again.

In her remarks regarding her athletic career prior to the genocide, she notes: "I used to compete in local cross-country races in Gaza. My injury did not end my dream; it only strengthened my commitment to it. Injury is not the end of life; we must continue to live. While I have lost some physical mobility, my mind remains fully present. I am still a creative individual, and I can still come up with creative ideas."

She continues: "My father and I aspire to establish a center dedicated to supporting amputees—one that would offer psychological counseling and physical therapy as well as specialized recreational activities for individuals with disabilities. It is our firm belief that we can give back to our community in the form of service."

Rozan highlights her passion for sports by noting: "I am eager to play the sport of amputee football. I have been referred to the program about a month ago. I am currently waiting for a prosthetic limb that will allow me to run. I am currently using a prosthetic limb that is uncomfortable. Therefore, I stay at home and only use it for limited movement."

And still they say: "This isn't genocide"!

Nelly Al-Masri is a Gaza-based journalist and writer.

2026-03-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

Palestinian FA Calls for Israeli Ban after FIFA Discrimination Report

2026-03-20T14:51:35.166-07:00

FIFA Refuses to Suspend Israel over Levelling of Gaza and West Bank Settlement Clubs in Israeli Leagues

2026-03-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

FIFA Clears Israeli Settlement Clubs but Fines Israel FA over Discrimination Breaches

Sports in Gaza Proves the Impossible is Possible

2026-03-07T18:54:00.000-08:00

There is something truly remarkable about the Palestinian people in the Gaza Sector. In spite of all the destruction, they are still able to organize competitions, matches, and leagues amidst the rubble.

Even though the Gaza Strip has been subjected to enormous destruction, the Palestinian Association of Veteran Athletes continues to organize the Gaza Ramadan Football Tournament despite all the destruction. They also hold numerous tournaments in various other sports. And a commemorative event was held for martyred athletes by the Gaza Sports Club. A gradual recovery plan has been developed by the Palestinian Olympic Committee which takes into account the situations in Gaza Sector.

It has been announced by the Palestine Olympic Committee that a total of 1007 Palestinians affiliated with sports movements, youth movements, and scouting movements have been killed during the Israeli war and that 265 sports facilities have been destroyed as a result of the genocide in Gaza. The question that arises on the minds of all sports enthusiasts and athletes is, how can they return to their sporting activities after more than two years of destruction and killing?

Despite being depleted of energy, their ambitions, nostalgia for the days gone by, and desire for enjoyment and camaraderie from matches have not diminished despite their energy depletion. There is something magical about the way they embrace sports like a person who devours a hot meal after a long period of hunger and suffering.

Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip have defied expectations that there would never be a return of sports in Gaza to the state they once enjoyed. It is because of their resilience and determination that they were able to counter these predictions, demonstrating that sports can serve as not only a national activity, but also a means of resistance, survival, and the continuation of life on this land, which they have continued to live on, despite all of the fierce attempts of ethnic cleansing, starvation, and oppression perpetrated by Israel.

There were three possibilities after the genocide in Gaza: First of all, sports could never return to their former state; second, they could return to their former state; and thirdly, they could come back even better than what they were before. Nevertheless, what we expect now is that sports will return stronger and better than ever because the sports that spring out of the rubble are truly exceptional.

In light of what we are seeing now, we can hope that, if the security and stability conditions are met, and the rebuilding process can get underway, sports will be back to what they were before October 7, 2023, if not even better.

Infantino's Odd, Obsequious, and Complicit Behavior

2026-02-27T18:56:00.000-08:00

Once again FIFA is exhibiting a double standard and is hypocritical when it comes to Israel's genocide in Gaza. As a result, it also violates its own values and morals as well. FIFA has always claimed to be neutral during the genocide's two and a half years. It has never condemned athletes' deaths or sports infrastructure destruction. At the same time, as part of Donald Trump's Board of Peace plan, FIFA has promised to invest $75 million in rebuilding Gaza's infrastructure.

In this case, we see an escalation in the flattery that FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been directing at President Donald Trump. As Samindra Kunti put it, Infantino committed the association of world football to a "true partnership" with the newly established peace initiative that has been started by the US president.

Obviously, Infantino does not seem concerned about the announcement made by the Vice President of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Asaad al-Majdalawi, on February 16, that 1,007 Palestinians affiliated with sports movements, youth movements, and scouting movements have been killed during the Israeli war. 265 sports facilities have been destroyed due to the Gaza genocide.

“FIFA and Infantino’s presence at the Board of Peace also renews questions about political neutrality and FIFA’s overt wooing and support for Trump’s national agenda,” Kunti wrote.

Article 15 of the FIFA Ethics Code requires political neutrality from FIFA officials. It states that: “In dealings with government institutions, national and international organizations, associations and groupings, persons bound by this Code shall, in addition to observing the basic rules of article 14, remain politically neutral, in accordance with the principles and objectives of FIFA, the confederations, associations, leagues and clubs, and generally act in a manner compatible with their function and integrity.”

The reason for Infantino to be so close to Trump is not clear to me. However, there are certain assumptions that could lead us to the answer to this question if we took them into consideration. First of all, Infantino knows he will be able to atone for FIFA's corrupt past if he is on Trump's side. Additionally, he would be able to avoid another FIFA scandal, such as a documentary series similar to FIFA UNCOVERED which investigated the FIFA scandal. Second, he has to guarantee extending his leadership until 2031 if he is re-elected in 2027. A FIFA president can serve a maximum of three four-year terms. However, due to the unique circumstances surrounding Infantino's election, he has effectively served more than three terms. Third, Infantino's landslide victory in 2016 raises suspicions and questions as to whether or not the United States may have been behind it. In this regard, it is necessary that he pays a price: offering services, concessions, and favors to the entity that supported him and brought him to the position of FIFA's president.

At the moment, many FIFA members are critical of Infantino's bizarre behavior. There is, however, the question of whether or not the FIFA Council will be able to remove him from his position.

In the end, as Palestinians, we are most upset about one thing from our experience with FIFA. This is not only due to the fact that FIFA is engaging in double standards, hypocrisy, and flattery towards Trump, but it is also due to the fact that Israel has been rewarded for its crimes by FIFA. Thus, the mask covering FIFA's face has fallen off, revealing to the whole world that there is a moral crisis afflicting FIFA in particular, as well as the West in general.

2026-02-17T18:52:00.000-08:00

Over 1,000 sports people killed, 265 facilities destroyed in Israeli war on Gaza, official says

2026-02-17T11:57:00.000-08:00

Legal Complaint Accuses FIFA, UEFA Leaders of Complicity in Settlement Football

The Genocide's Psychological and Emotional Effects

2026-02-14T18:13:00.000-08:00

Palestine's modern history is full of tragedies. However, the Gaza genocide was no less tragic than the Nakba (the 1948 catastrophe) in its horrific nature. As a result of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, not one house, building, or playground was left untouched, and no living being was spared; if they were not killed, they were maimed, disfigured, and exhausted in some way. Israel intends to subject even Gaza Strip residents who remain alive or injured to the dreaded fate of dying alive. This is achieved by torturing them and inflicting them with inhumane conditions, such as hunger, cold, homelessness, disease, pollution, and emotional collapse.

The genocide has slowed the future's progress and dashed the hopes and ambitions of many young people. A number of Palestinian athletes have either been killed, injured, or even prohibited from traveling abroad to seek medical treatment or participate in sports competitions due to the fact that the only way for Palestinians to travel abroad is through the Rafah crossing.

The following are two interviews with athletes conducted by Palestinian sports journalist Nelly Al-Masri, based in Gaza City. In light of harsh conditions and the lack of an internet connection and difficulty with communications, the writer had difficulty arranging meetings and conducting these interviews.

The Shrapnel that Blinded Samih Saud Fueled his Dreams

By Nelly Al-Masri

During the genocide and the closure of the Rafah border crossing, Palestinian boxing champion Samih Saud (18) found a way to continue his boxing training after he became unable to represent Palestine internationally. His goal was to participate in the Kazakhstan International Boxing Championship that was going to take place in the near future.

Later, as a result of an Israeli strike in late 2025, he lost the sight of one of his eyes. In the aftermath of this injury, he was haunted by the fear that he might lose his other eye as well. A sport he loved and had practiced since he was twelve years old, boxing, was one of the things he dreamed to practice.

"I, along with my family of nine, have been displaced from the Al-Bureij refugee camp since the outbreak of the war began on October 7, 2023. As a result of continuous bombing, we were forced to flee from the Al-Bureij refugee camp to a school in Nuseirat camp, which was transformed into a shelter for displaced people. In that moment, the chapters of my most tragic tragedy were written. As a result of the Israeli forces bombing the school we had taken refuge in with several missiles, pieces of shrapnel were scattered everywhere, resulting in one hitting my eye. From that moment forward, I began to lose sight of my injured eye."

As a result of a lack of medical equipment and supplies during the extermination war, Samih was not able to receive the necessary treatment. “The doctor told me that after I was injured, I had been taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where the doctors told me that shrapnel had lodged itself in my eye, and that medical intervention would be limited to stop the bleeding only, without removing the shrapnel. I was transferred to the European Gaza Hospital, where I had surgery to stop the bleeding, which resulted in a sharp decline in my vision of about 20%," said Samih.

In addition, he confirmed that the injury had a direct effect on his physical fitness and athletic future. Prior to the war, he used to train for up to 25 rounds without getting tired or bored as he recalled his days before the war. However, today he is determined to complete two to five rounds. It is possible that he may lose his sight completely if he does more. It's because of the strain on his other eye.

Saud had been referred to a medical center abroad for treatment. This offered him a glimmer of hope for recovery and return to his favorite sport. As a result, he was not able to realize his dreams because he was only able to leave the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing which became under Israel’s control in May 2024.

Saud is still suffering from difficult psychological conditions as a result of his injury. Some of his daily tasks can no longer be performed or even his favorite sport can no longer be practiced. As he feels tired and is no longer able to complete boxing rounds as he once did, he thinks he will no longer be able to compete in boxing as he used to do.

It was not only the loss of his eye that he mourned, but also the loss of his uncle and coach, Amer Saud, who was killed during the genocide. As his friend and coach, Amer was a supporter, cheerleader, and mentor to him, both in sports as well as in his overall life.

It is estimated that more than 900 athletes from different sports have been martyred as a result of the genocide in the past two and a half years, according to the Palestinian Olympic Committee (POC) and the Palestinian Football Association (PFA). The genocide killed hundreds of sports leaders, administrators, and members of the Palestinian sports community. There were also thousands of male and female athletes who sustained injuries due to the genocide. There were 270 sports facilities targeted by the occupation, with 95% destroyed. As of now, an assessment of the stadium damage is still being conducted by the Palestine Olympic Committee.

While Saud had suffered from a serious injury, he remained committed to continuing his training, regardless of the fact that he had limited physical abilities and there were no sports facilities available, such as clubs, gyms, and stadiums, to facilitate his training.

He began his training by hanging a bag of fine sand from the ceiling of his tent as a punching bag to use as a punching bag whilst he trained in his tent.

In the Nuseirat refugee camp, he decided to walk to a bodybuilding gym that was not specifically for boxing, but serves the purposes of boxing as well. As of right now, he is training at a new club in Al-Zawaida, in the central Gaza Strip, which has just opened its doors.

In order to regain his sight, Saud hopes to travel for treatment abroad. In the near future, he plans to complete his university education, as well as continue boxing and represent Palestine in international competitions.

Before October 7, 2023, Saud began his journey toward stardom and professionalism by attaining numerous local accomplishments in the 54kg and 57kg weight categories before he started his journey toward stardom and professionalism. As a boxer, he was ranked among the most prominent boxers in the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian Boxing Federation. He participated in an Asian championship in Jordan, winning third place. Due to this achievement, he was eligible to compete in the International Kazakhstan Championship, but due to the genocide, he was unable to do so.

The Joy of Victory and the Bitterness of Exile and Genocide

By Nelly Al-Masri

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." These were the words of Helen Keller, an American author and activist who urged people not to give up in the face of hardships. In particular, this can be described as the case of the Palestinian champion, an international ultramarathon runner Sami Asaad Al-Nattil. He is the first ultramarathon runner who has completed a distance of 110 kilometers in Palestinian history.

Al-Nattil's story begins shortly before the genocidal war on Gaza that began on October 7, 2023, just two weeks after he left the Gaza Strip. He ran the 84 km Rum International Ultramarathon. It was a great achievement for him to finish third, but the war quickly overshadowed the happiness he felt at this accomplishment.

"I won third place in the Rum International Ultramarathon and I am pleased with this achievement, which is considered a significant achievement for Palestine. Then, after the marathon, I started preparing for the Amman International Marathon, and only a few days after that, the Gaza war began," Al-Nattil said.

In his words, "I could not have imagined how brutal the bombing and war were on Gaza. It was truly genocide, a period that was one of the hardest times in my life. I was constantly in contact with my family, my wife, and my children, but I feared for them. There was no way I was going to be able to return to Gaza. There was a constant sense of anxiety and worry that affected my mental health and made me feel unwell. It was impossible for me to return to Gaza during the year and a half I spent in Jordan."

Al-Nattil is thought to be the first ultramarathon runner in Palestine to complete a 110 km race. An ultramarathon is a marathon run that is longer than the traditional marathon (42.195 km), and the distances generally range between 50 km and much longer distances, such as 100 km and even 160 km and more. The terrain is diverse and challenging, and can include deserts and mountains, all of which require exceptional physical fitness and endurance. Runners consider this event to be one of the best tests of their abilities.

In spite of the genocide, his separation from his family, and the constant worry he had about them, he did not let any of that deter him from continuing his journey. There were a lot of challenges involved in this. As part of his training, he continued to practice for upcoming championships, and he was fortunate to have a coach from abroad who supervised and supported him without charging him a cent.

"Under these circumstances, I decided to continue training. This was the most appropriate decision to make, as I was representing my country, Palestine. During this time, I was supported by a Jordanian coach by the name of Issa Mut'eb Al-Adwan. He is considered to be a legend in the field of long-distance training as well as a champion-maker. Until now, I have received his support, encouragement, and guidance from him. My next step was to participate in several international championships in the Arab Republic of Egypt, where I won third place in the Masters category," said al-Nattil.

During the toughest times of his athletic career, he began to achieve the most challenging and difficult achievements, and the harsh circumstances forced him to become another champion who is writing his own history for Palestinian sports as well as for his athletic career. In order to move forward, he had to overcome the scenes of death and destruction he saw in Gaza, as well as the anxieties he felt over his family.

"In January 2026, I received an invitation to participate in the Ultra Trail Gazelles Sahara in Tunisia. I continued training regardless of the difficult psychological condition that I was experiencing, and my biggest goal was to raise Palestine's name. This gave me a strong will and determination. Taking part in this event was a significant challenge, as it was the longest distance ever run in Palestinian athletic history. I got third place in the Masters category on this international race. The trail covered 110 km in 15 hours, 53 minutes, and 47 seconds. As well as Palestine, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Denmark, Portugal, France, Britain, and many other countries that took part in the event."

It is noteworthy that Sami Al-Nattil overcame the circumstances of the genocide and his separation from his family to achieve a great accomplishment in one of the most difficult athletic championships in the world. In doing so, he became the first Palestinian athlete to achieve this feat. According to Al-Nattil, he is hoping that the Palestinian Athletics Federation, headed by Dr. Mazen Al-Khatib, will be accepted into the International Ultra Running Association as a member under its umbrella. It is expected that Palestine will be represented at all of the championships. In his speech, he promises a number of victories in Palestinian sports in the future, but emphasizes the need for support and training camps to achieve this.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that he participated in his first ultra marathon in 2021 in Tunisia, in the Tozeur desert, covering a distance of 50 km, where he secured second place in the race.

The second time he participated, it was in 2022, when he covered 84 km in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan. He finished second in that race as well.

In 2023, he took part in his third edition of the race in Jordan, where he finished third out of a field of thirty three runners in an 84 km relay race in the Wadi Rum desert.

A Look at Today's Palestinian Sports: Developments and Prospects for the Future

2025-12-29T09:58:00.000-08:00

Issam Khalidi

This article sheds some light on these fundaments that could be considered as having a profound impact on the success and prominence of Palestinian sports on a local, national, and international level over the past few years. It also highlights the challenges facing the sports movement today and raises the question: "What is the future of Palestinian sports?" It is especially important considering that the genocide in the Gaza Strip and the occupation's attempts to employ ethnic cleansing tactics in the West Bank, as well as the daily violations and crimes committed by settlers against Palestinians, have all taken place.

It is crucial to highlight that Palestinian sport is unique in that it is based on national, social and organizational foundations, all of which are necessary to ensure its long-term success. In fact, these foundations provide sport with the opportunity to develop and maintain its national identity and even become a tool of resistance against the occupying power in the process.

In fact, no other sports movement in the world is being faced with the same conditions as the Palestinian sport movement is. In the wake of Palestine’s occupation, Palestinians have experienced displacement, hardships, and confrontation with the occupation. In the process of Palestinian sports becoming a weapon that emphasizes the people's identity and challenges Israel's control over Palestinians, Israel increasingly views Palestinian sports as a threat to Israeli control over Palestinians. Sport has always been Israel's nightmare and a thorn in its side as long as it bears the symbol of the Palestinian people, flag and name.

It has long been recognized that sports have been characterized by strong social foundations since the 1920s. Generally speaking, the majority of clubs in Palestine were established as social clubs, which included sports as one of their main activities as part of their structure. In the last century, they have developed their management systems in accordance with social structures, cultural trends, as well as national trends.

As a matter of fact, the majority of clubs in existence today operate as social clubs that are run by dedicated members and officials, who are supported by their communities. In our opinion, there is no doubt that the more professional sports become, the more its authenticity and social essence is lost. It is, however, a fact that Palestinian sports have not been subjected to a high level of sporting professionalism. Even though some clubs accept professionalism as a core FIFA requirement, the social aspect of their activities remains substantial intact.

As a result of the re-establishment of the Palestinian Sports Federation during the 1940s, Palestinian sports have been managed on an organizational level since then, and this has continued until today. It is important to note that each historical stage and place of the diaspora had its own organizational characteristics.

For the sports movement to succeed, however, it is also imperative that it is able to build on other foundations (health, scientific, and democratic) in order to achieve integration and reach its full potential.

Unfortunately, there is a large segment of the population that does not consider sport a part of their health routine, and this presents a serious problem. It is the responsibility of the sports officials to promote sports as a daily habit and as an integral part of the lives of citizens as possible. In order to combat unhealthy lifestyles (lack of exercise, smoking, poor diet, sleep deprivation, and stress), there have to be many efforts made. There is no doubt that the Israeli occupation of Palestine has played a significant role in Palestinian suffering.

In today's world, most of the countries achieving success in sports are doing so on the basis of scientific research. In the last few decades, there has been an increase in the number of physical education departments at universities. This is in addition to BA degrees, some offering master and doctoral degrees. As a result, Palestinian physical education teachers and coaches have become more qualified and competent over the years. There is a need for universities to cooperate with sports federations as well as the Palestinian Olympic Committee. Universities should take an active role in research and studies in order to help coaches and federations.

It is important to point out that prior to Oslo Accords; sports in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were based on democratic principles that rested on a broad social foundation free from favoritism and bureaucracy. It is clear that today there is a lack of democracy in the decision-making process, with power concentrated in the hands of the Palestinian Olympic Committee president as well as the Palestinian Football Association. There is a partisan tendency that dominated Palestinian sports (Fatah in the West Bank, Hamas in Gaza Sector). It has been confirmed that Fatah, the dominant Palestinian faction that constitutes a substantial part of the Palestinian Authority, has violated the sports rights of Hamas members in the occupied West Bank. Similarly, Hamas in the Gaza Strip violated the sports rights of Fatah members in the same manner. Additionally, sports in the Gaza Strip have been marginalized since Hamas took control in 2007.

There has been an outstanding success in the field of sports among the Palestinian people, despite displacement, the difficult circumstances they have faced, the absence of an independent state, and the ongoing occupation. This success began in the 1940s and continued after the Nakba (the 1948) to this day. In the 1950s, Palestine's participation in the Arab Games was a perfect example of this. This was also evident in the re-establishment of the Palestinian Football Association and other sports associations in the 1960s and the attempt of the Palestinian Football Association to become a member of FIFA at that time. It was then at the end of the 1960s that the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports was founded, and the League of Clubs Rabitat al-Andiya was established in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1970s, which remained active until the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993 and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

A new phase of Palestinian sports began in 1993, when the League of Clubs was dissolved and replaced (along with all other civil society organizations) by "state" institutions, which represented a significant change in the sports sector. After the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Football Association and other federations were relocated from Tunisia to the Gaza Strip, and later to the West Bank.

Due to the Oslo Accords, Israel has increased the confiscation of land and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. In addition to this, they also resulted in the construction of the separation wall, the fragmentation of the West Bank, and its separation from Jerusalem as well. Sport has, however, coexisted with these results since 1993, and has evolved as a result.

Additionally, the Oslo Accords led to a marginalization of sports in the diaspora as a consequence of the accords. Due to these Accords, there has been a greater presence of sports in the Gaza Strip and West Bank than in the diaspora (especially in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon). Palestinian sports, in general, were affected by this imbalance that caused a lot of problems.

Palestinian sports are characterized by their resilience and adaptability. As demonstrated throughout history, every time Israel attempts to destroy the Palestinian people, they come back stronger and more resilient than before. In this sense, we are reminded of what the Libyan freedom fighter Omar al-Mukhtar once said: "The blow that does not break the back only strengthens it.”

Adaptability is evident in how sports have thrived under all circumstances. This is whether in the post-Nakba period in the refugee camps, during the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Sector, or in the period after the signing of the Oslo Accords. Palestinian sports managed to cope with the negative consequences of the Oslo Accords through adaptability and achieved successful results as a result.

In spite of the challenges it faces, Palestinian sports have excelled at the local, regional (participation in Arab Games and Arab championships), and international levels (qualification for the World Cup, Olympic Games, and other international championships). Numerous athletes have emerged in individual sports such as swimming, boxing, karate, taekwondo, bodybuilding, weightlifting, and athletics, among others.

Despite the fact that Palestine's membership in FIFA was brought about by the Oslo Accords, it is impossible to ignore the positive effects that this membership has had on Palestinian football in particular. Among these effects, the most crucial one is that Palestine has become a prominent figure on the world sports map. This has led to the promotion of Palestinian identity in terms of name, flag, people, and cause by showcasing the Palestinian identity in the spotlight.

In the recent FIFA Arab Cup 2025, the Palestinian team performed admirably and was a testament to how high the level of Palestinian football has reached in recent years.

There is no doubt that football is the most popular sport. However, there should be no misconception that it is synonymous with Palestinian sports. In reality, football is just one aspect of Palestinian sports, and any success in football will only contribute to Palestinian sports success.

Given the current circumstances, especially the genocidal war being waged in the Gaza Strip, two questions arise: First, what are the challenges facing Palestinian sports? Second, what is the future of Palestinian sports? Of course, there are other challenges besides the occupation, including social, cultural, organizational, administrative, and economic challenges. However, the occupation, which manifests itself in targeting athletes and hindering their movement, obstructing the import of sports equipment, and destroying sports infrastructure, remains the biggest obstacle to the development of the Palestinian sports movement.

It is important to keep in mind that the future of Palestinian sports is closely tied to the present, as well as the challenges that the Palestinian sports movement is facing. This present, with its realities, certainly raises the prospect of an uncertain future for the sports movement as a whole.

Increasingly, it is becoming apparent that many Gazan athletes are losing confidence in the future because of the conditions in which they are living, the uncertainty which they are facing at the present time. It is important to understand for them that sport has become not just a competitive and recreational activity, but also memories, feelings, emotions, pain, and ambitions. Sport for them is a part of a glorious past, a painful present, and an uncertain future.

Obviously, there is a disparity between the level of sports in the West Bank of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip of the Gaza Strip of today. As a result of Israel's genocide of Gaza, the sports infrastructure of the Sector has been extensively destroyed, and more than 800 people have been killed. At the same time, Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank are actively committing ethnic cleansing. In effect, they are using the same methods as those employed in the Gaza Strip (Gazafication), which will have terrible consequences in the future, including in the area of sports as well.

After the occupation ends, the goal is to bring all sports in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under one sports administration and one unified national government. It has now become imperative to reject any form of division among Palestinians after so much blood has been shed, so many lives have been lost, and so many sacrifices have been made. The genocide in Gaza has sparked a revolution in the political and moral consciousness of the international community, particularly in the West. The Palestinian cause has garnered wide sympathy around the world as a humanitarian cause due to the sacrifices that have been made.

It is also very difficult to separate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank. This is due to the fact that sports in the Strip are an integral part of Palestinian sports as a whole. It is the ultimate goal of the Palestinian people (after the end of the occupation) to have sports fully integrated in the Gaza Strip, in the West Bank, and in the diaspora under the umbrella of a single sports administration, under the umbrella of a unified Palestinian government that encompasses all Palestinian factions.

Palestinian's continued presence on their own land and the international solidarity they have with them and their cause, as well as their resistance and steadfastness against the occupation, is undoubtedly the foundation for the future of the Palestinian sports movement. There is no choice but for the Palestinian sports movement to stand in solidarity with Palestine's revolutionary struggle for an independent Palestinian state and a brighter future.

There can be no doubt that the people of Gaza, who thwarted the ethnic cleansing plan and performed miracles through their steadfastness and heroism, will be able to rebuild their lives and revive their sporting activities as soon as conditions become more stable. In fact, it is no wonder that Yaser Arafat, the late Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), called the Palestinian people Sha'b Al Jabareen (the mighty people).

الرياضة الفلسطينية اليوم ...... أسسها وتطورها وآفاقها المستقبلة

2025-12-29T09:48:00.000-08:00

عصام الخالدي

يلقي هذا المقال الضوء على الأسس التي ترتكز عليها الرياضة الفلسطينية والتي تعطيها جوهرا مميزا وتساعد في تطورها وبروزها على صعيد محلي وعربي ودولي بشكل أمثل . كما ويلقي الضوء على تطور الحركة الرياضية ونجاحاتها والتحديات التي تواجهها الحركة الرياضية اليوم ، ويضع السؤال المطروح الآن "ما هو مستقبل الرياضة الفلسطينية" خاصة في ظل ظروف الإبادة الجماعية التي يشهدها قطاع غزة ومحاولة الاحتلال استخدام أساليب التطهير العرقي في الضفة الغربية بالإضافة إلى انتهاكات وجرائم المستوطنين اليومية بحق الفلسطينيين التي لها تأثيراتها المدمرة على كل مناحي الحياة بما فيها الرياضية.

إن أكثر ما يميز الرياضة الفلسطينية هي سمتها الوطنية والفكرية ، وتأثرها وخضوعها لظروف التشرد والشتات التي مر ويمر بها الشعب الفلسطيني ، وعلاقتها بالأوضاع السياسية ، وتصديها للهيمنة الصهيونية على الحركة الرياضية بدعم وتواطؤ سلطات الانتداب البريطاني. وكان لنكبة عام 1948 وتشرد الشعب الفلسطيني واحتلال إسرائيل للضفة الغربية وقطاع غزة آثاره الكبيرة على مسيرة الحركة الرياضية. وليس هناك أي حركة رياضية في العالم أجمع مرت في الظروف التي مرت بها حركتنا الرياضية ، هذه الظروف التي تمثلت بالتشرد والمعاناة والمواجهة مع الخصم الغاصب والمحتل الصهيوني.

واليوم ترى إسرائيل في الرياضة الفلسطينية سلاحا جديدًا يبرز هوية الشعب الفلسطيني ويشكل شوكة في حلقها ، خاصة أن الرياضة الفلسطينية أصبحت اليوم تكسب احتراما وتعاطفا دوليا هائلا ، وذلك بسبب التعاطف الذي أبداه العالم لفلسطين منددا بجرائم إسرائيل وحرب الإبادة الجماعية التي تشنها في قطاع غزة. ومن الجدير بالذكر أيضا أن الرياضة الفلسطينية أصبحت وسيلة من أجل فضح ممارسات إسرائيل التعسفية وإبراز جرائمها للعالم ، فعلى سبيل المثال فقد كان وقع خبر استشهاد "بيليه الكرة الفلسطينية" سليمان العبيد عندما كان ينتظر دورة لتلقي مساعدات غذائية لأطفاله الخمسة صادما ومؤلما للكثيرين من رياضيي العالم ومن بينهم اللاعب المصري محمد صلاح.

كما وتتميز الرياضة الفلسطينية (منذ عشرينات القرن الماضي وحتى يومنا هذا) في ارتكازها على اسس اجتماعية ، فهذه الأندية كانت وما زالت ترتكز على الدعم الاجتماعي بالإضافة إلى التفاني الذي يظهره اعضاء ومسؤولو الأندية في نشاطاتها المتعددة (الثقافية والاجتماعية والرياضية وغيرها) ، وفي إدارتها وتنظيم عملها . وقد طورت الأندية الاجتماعية والرياضية منذ عشرينيات القرن الماضي أنظمة إدارتها وفقًا للبنية الاجتماعية والنزعة الثقافية والوطنية للمجتمع الفلسطيني.

ومن المؤكد أنه كلما انتشر الاحتراف كلما فقدت الرياضة أصالتها وجوهرها الاجتماعي الذي نمت عليه. ولكن تبقى الأندية في فلسطين بجوهرها اجتماعية ، مختلفة تماما عن الأندية في الغرب بغض النظر عن الاحتراف الذي لا يشكل جزء كبيرا من لاعبيها. وهناك ما زال التفاف كبير لفئات اجتماعية حول أنديتها تؤازها و تدعمها بشتى الوسائل الممكنة. وفي النهاية فإن الاحتراف هو واقع فرضته العولمة الرياضية ويتوجب قبوله.

أما الأسس التنظيمة فقد بدأت منذ اربعينات القرن الماضي بعد إعادة تأسيس الاتحاد الرياضي الفلسطيني في عام 1944 ، وتطورت إلى يومنا الحاضر رغم ظروف التشرد والشتات والاحتلال وغيرها. وكانت لكل مرحلة تاريخية وسياسية ميزاتها التنظيمية. والآن هناك اتحادات لكل أنواع الرياضة ، وهي أعضاء في اتحاداتها العربية والدولية. بالإضافة إلى اللجنة الأولمبية الفلسطينية المسؤولة عن إعداد الرياضيين للمشاركة في الألعاب الأولمبية وتنظيم الأمور الأولمبية . ولقد شهدت فترة الثلاثين سنة الأخيرة عملية إعداد المدربين والحكام (الذين وصل بعضهم إلى مستوى دولي) ، ومشاركة أعضاء فلسطينيين في لجان اتحادات رياضية عربية ودولية.

وحول الأسس الصحية فعندما نتحدث عن الرياضة فإننا لا نقصد فقط الرياضة الكبرى (التنافسية والتي يظهر بها اللاعب امكاناته القصوى) بل أيضا عن الرياضة الصغرى (الصحية ، مراكز الرياضة الصحية ، ممارسة الرياضة من أجل أهداف صحية وترفيهية) . لم تشمل الرياضة فئة كبرى من السكان ، لأن الاهتمام دائما ينصب على الرياضة الكبرى. وهناك مهام على العاملين في المجال الرياضي هو العمل على جعل الرياضة جزء مقوم من حياة المواطن وعادة يومية يواظب عليها. وتوعية المواطن بأن الاهتمام بالصحة هو نشاط وطني بحد ذاته. أيضا يجب العمل من خلال الرياضة على محاربة نمط الحياة الفوضوي (النقص الحركي ، التدخين ، الغذاء ، النوم ، التوتر). بالطبع لا ننسى هنا دور الاحتلال والمستوطنين والانتهاكات اليومية التي يمارسانها ضد المواطنين الفلسطينيين التي لها انعكاساتها على صحة المواطن الفلسطيني البدنية والنفسية.

من المعروف أن معظم النجاحات التي تحققها الدول المتقدمة في المجال الرياضي اليوم تعزى إلى ارتكاز الرياضة على الأسس العلمية التي تحدث تحولات جذرية على أداء اللاعبين ومنهجية التدريب. واليوم هناك أقسام للتربية البدنية في عدة جامعات ومنها من يمنح شهادة الماجستر والدكتوراة ، وهذا ما يجعل أساتذة التربية البدنية والمدربون أكثر كفاءة وتأهيل. وقد حان الوقت لأن يكون هناك تنسيق اكبر بين هذه الجامعات والاتحادات الرياضية واللجنة الأولمبية في مجال التدريب والبحث والإدارة والتنظيم والاستشارات العلمية . أيضًا يتوجب على جامعاتنا إجراء البحوث والدراسات من أجل رفع أداء اللاعبين والفرق الرياضية الفلسطينية.

وبصدد الأسس الديمقراطية فقد كانت الرياضة قبل اتفاقيات أوسلو ترتكز على قاعدة شعبية واجتماعية واسعة خالية من المحسوبيات والبيروقراطية ، قائمة على أسس ديمقراطية. ونراها اليوم تعاني من غياب الديمقراطية في صنع القرار ، ولفترة طويلة كانت هناك نزعة حزبية تهيمن على الرياضة الفلسطينية (في الضفة والقطاع). ومن المعلوم أنه كانت هناك انتهاكات للحقوق الرياضية من قبل حركتي فتح وحماس في الضفة الغربية وقطاع غزة. أيضا ، كان هناك تهميش للرياضة الفلسطينية في قطاع غزة بعد استيلاء حماس على السلطة هناك في عام 2007.

تطور الرياضة الفلسطينية

رغم الشتات والظروف الصعبة التي مر بها الشعب الفلسطيني وغياب دولته المستقلة وقبوعه تحت الاحتلال ، إلا أنه استطاع أن يحقق نجاحات على صعيد رياضي بدأت في أربعينات القرن الماضي واستمرت بعد النكبة حتى وقتنا الحاضر. وقد تمثل ذلك في مشاركة فلسطين في دورات الرياضة العربية في الخمسينات ، وتأسيس الاتحاد الفلسطيني لكرة القدم في الستينات ومحاولته الانضمام إلى الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم في الستينات ، وتأسيس المجلس الأعلى للشباب والرياضة في نهاية الستينات ، وتأسيس رابطة الأندية في الضفة الغربية وقطاع غزة في السبعينات والتي استمر نشاطها حتى توقيع اتفاقية اوسلو وإقامة السلطة الفلسطينية في قطاع غزة والضفة الغربية. في عام 1993 بدأت الرياضة الفلسطينية مرحلة جديدة بعد أن تم حل رابطة الأندية واستبدالها (مثلها مثل كل منظمات المجتمع المدني) بمؤسسات "دولة" ، وانتقال الاتحاد الفلسطيني لكرة القدم واتحادات اخرى من الشتات إلى قطاع غزة ثم إلى الضفة الغربية.

استمرت الرياضة الفلسطينية مع اتفاقيات أوسلو وزيادة الاستيطان ونقاط التفتيش وبناء الجدار العازل وفصل الضفة عن بعضها البعض وعن القدس ، وتهميش منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية وتباعد فلسطينيي الشتات لتأخذ شكلا مميزا مختلفا عما كانت عليه من قبل ، حيث خضعت للمتغيرات التي بدأت تتبلور بعد اتفاقات أوسلو والتي كان لها آثارها السلبية على كل مناحي الحياة بما فيها على الرياضية.

سمة المرونة وقابلية التكيف

هناك صفتان كانتا دائما ملازمتين للرياضة الفلسطينية هما المرونة Resiliency ، وقابلية التكيفAdaptability في الظروف الصعبة المختلفة ، فالمرونة تؤكد على أن هذا الشعب في كل مرة يتلقى بها الضربات يعود أقوى وأكثر صمودا من ذي قبل . وهذا ما يذكرنا بما قاله المناضل الليبي عمر المختار متحديًا المستعمر الإيطالي "الضربة التي لا تقسم الظهر تقويه." أما قابلية التكيف هي أن الرياضة استطاعت التعايش مع كل الظروف سواء في مرحلة ما بعد النكبة في المخيمات ، أو خلال الاحتلال الإسرئيلي للضفة والقطاع ، أو في مرحلة ما بعد توقيع اتفاقيات أوسلو التي لم تجلب سوى العواقب الوخيمة للشعب الفلسطيني.

ورغم العوائق التي نجمت وتنجم عن وجود وممارسات الاحتلال ، ومحاولته وضع العراقيل أمام الرياضة الفلسطينية ، إلا أنه هناك تطور ملحوظ على كافة أنواع الرياضة الفلسطينية. وقد استطاع الرياضيون الفلسطينيون أن يبرزوا على صعيد محلي وعربي (المشاركات في دورة الألعاب العربية والبطولات العربية) ودولي (تصفيات كأس العالم والألعاب الأولمبية والبطولات الدولية) ، حيث ظهر العديد منهم في السباحة والملاكمة والكراتيه والتايكوندو وكمال الاجسام ورفع الأثقال وألعاب القوى وغيرها ، استطاعوا أن يحققوا نجاحات على مستوى محلي وعربي ودولي. كما وصلت الفرق الفلسطينية في كرة القدم والسلة إلى مثيلاتها في الدول العربية. وليس من السهل قياس هذا التطور ، ولكن هذه النجاحات والفوز الذي تحققه فرقنا ورياضيونا على مستوى عربي ودولي هو أكبر دليل ومؤشر على ما وصلت إليه الرياضة الفلسطينية.

بغض النظر أن عضوية فلسطين في الفيفا أتت في ظل اتفاقيات أوسلو وإدارة السلطة الفلسطينية بعد جهود طويلة ومحاولات عديدة ، إلا أنه من الصعب تجاهل التأثيرات الإيجابية لهذه العضوية على كرة القدم بشكل خاص والرياضة الفلسطينية بشكل عام ، والتي اهمها ظهور فلسطين على خارطة العالم الرياضية ، وإبراز الهوية الوطنية الفلسطينية إسمًا وعلمًا وشعبًا وقضية. ويجب التنويه أن الرياضة الفلسطينية لا تقتصر على النشاط الكروي فحسب ، بل على كل أنواع الرياضة ، ويجب أن لا ينظر إلى كرة القدم على أنها مرادف للرياضة الفلسطينية ، بل هي جزء مقوّم من هذه الرياضة ككل ، لذلك فإن أي نجاح في النشاط الكروي هو جزء مكمل لنجاح الرياضة الفلسطينية.

في ظل الظروف الراهنة خاصة حرب الإبادة التي يشهدها قطاع غزة هنا يبرز سؤالان: أولا ، ما هي التحديات التي تقف أمام الرياضة الفلسطينية؟ ثانيا ، ما هو مستقبل الرياضة الفلسطينية؟ بالطبع هناك تحديات أخرى غير الاحتلال وهي اجتماعية وثقافية وتنظيمة وإدارية واقتصادية إلا أن وجود الاحتلال الذي يتمثل بإعاقة حركة الرياضيين واستهدافهم ، وإعاقة استيراد المعدات الرياضية ، وتدمير البنى الرياضية التحتية وغيرها) يبقى العامل العائق الأكبر لتطور الحركة الرياضية الفلسطينية.

مستقبل الرياضة الفلسطينية

أما فيما يتعلق بمستقبل الرياضة الفلسطينية فهذا يعتمد على استقرار الأوضاع السياسية وعلى إنهاء الاحتلال وإقامة الدولة الفلسطينية المستقلة ، وعلى وحدة الفلسطينيين وفصائلهم. بالطبع هناك تفاوت في وقتنا الحاضر بين المستوى الرياضي في الضفة الغربية وفي قطاع غزة الذي أصبح فريسة للإبادة الجماعية التي تنتهجها إسرائيل ، وتعرض لدمار كبير في بنيته الرياضية التحتية واستشهاد ما يقارب من الثمانمائة رياضي. ولكن أيضا يجب أن لا يغرب عن البال ما تتعرض له الضفة الغربية من محاولة التطهير العرقي وجرائم المستوطنين التي تتزايد يوما بعد يوم ، واستخدام نفس الأساليب التي تستخدمها إسرائيل في قطاع غزة Gazafication ، والتي سوف يكون لها آثارها الوخيمة في المستقبل على كل جوانب ومجالات الحياة بما فيها الرياضية. إيضًا وكما ذكر سابقا أنه بسبب اتفاقيات أوسلو تم إبعاد رياضة الشتات (خاصة في لبنان وسوريا) وتركيز الرياضة على قطاع غزة والضفة الغربية ، وقد أدى هذا الإجحاف بحق الشتات إلى فقدان التوازن في كل المجالات والتي منها الرياضية.

وعلى صعيد قطاع غزة فإن عودة الرياضة إلى ما كانت عليه هي عملية صعبة وتحتاج إلى وقت وجهود كبيرة وظروف ملائمة ولكنها ليست مستحيلة . ولا شك أن أهل غزة الذين أفشلوا مخطط التطهير العرقي وصنعوا المعجزات بصمودهم وبطولاتهم ، سوف يستطيعون إعادة بناء حياتهم وإعادة نشاطهم الرياضي الذي له جذور وتاريخ من النجاحات والإنجازات.

أيضا من الصعب فصل قطاع غزة عن الضفة الغربية لأن الرياضة في القطاع هي جزء لا يتجزأ من الرياضة الفلسطينية بشكل عام ، والمراد في النهاية (بعد إنهاء الاحتلال) هو دمج كامل للرياضة في القطاع والضفة والشتات تحت إدارة رياضية واحدة ، في ظل حكومة فلسطينية واحدة تضم جميع الفصائل الفلسطينية.

إن مستقبل الرياضة الفلسطينية مرتبط ارتباطًا وثيقًا بالحاضر وبالتحديات التي تواجهها الحركة الرياضية الفلسطينية ، هذا الحاضر بمعطياته ووقائعه ينبىء بمستقبل غير مطمئن للحركة الرياضية بشكل عام ، حيث يتضح بشكل متزايد أن العديد من الرياضيين في غزة أصبحوا يفقدون ثقتهم بالمستقبل بسبب الظروف المعيشية الصعبة وحالة عدم اليقين التي يواجهونها حاليًا ، لأن الرياضة بالنسبة لهم اصبحت ليس مجرد نشاط تنافسي وترفيهي وصحي فحسب، بل ذكريات ومشاعر وعواطف ، وآلام ، وطموح ، وجزء لا يتجزأ من الماضي المجيد والحاضر الأليم والمستقبل غير المرئي.

لقد علمتنا التجارب أنه في كل مرة يتلقى بها شعبنا الضربات يعود أقوى مما كان عليه من قبل. وهذا يذكرنا بعبارة "شعب الجبارين" التي كان يرددها دائما الرئيس الراحل ياسر عرفات. ومن المؤكد أن استمرارية الحركة الرياضية الفلسطينية مرتبطة ببقاء شعبنا على ارضه ، وبالتعاطف الدولي معه ومع قضيته العادلة ، وبمقاومته للمحتل وصموده ، وبإفشاله كل مخططات هذا المحتل في التطهير العرقي لشعبنا ، وبوأد احلامه في إقامة دولة "إسرائيل الكبرى".

لقد رافقت الرياضة الجزائرية الثورة إبان حرب التحرير، وعندما انتصرت هذه الثورة انتصرت معها الرياضة الجزائرية ، وتطورت وحققت النجاحات. لذلك ليس أمام رياضتنا إلا مرافقة النضال الثوري الفلسطيني من أجل بناء دولة فلسطينية مستقلة ومستقبلٍ زاهر.

The Neutrality of FIFA on Israeli Settlement Clubs in the West Bank and the Gaza Genocide is Complicity

2025-12-17T07:40:00.000-08:00

Issam Khalidi

The issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which have been entrenched by the occupation, is regarded as one of the greatest challenges Palestinians face overall. A disaster of this magnitude does not contain only the confiscation of land and water and the acts of terrorism perpetrated on Palestinian citizens by Israeli settlers on a regular basis, but have also included settlements having sports clubs that participate in the Israeli Football Association’s League.

There has been a stalling on the part of FIFA for a long time with regard to its decision regarding these settlement clubs. Having openly declared its neutrality on the issue, it is openly violating its internal regulations, as well as disregarding international laws that prohibit the settlements and the clubs located within them from operating.

Over the years, at least eight football clubs have developed or have been identified as playing in Israeli colonial settlements of the occupied West Bank. Israeli clubs, many of which have exhibited racism towards the Palestinian people and players over the years, are integrated in the Israeli Football Association (IFA). A ninth club, based inside Israel, plays some home games in a settlement.[1]

In accordance with Article 64.2 of FIFA's statutes, a member association and its clubs are not permitted to play on the territory of another member association without the latter's approval. [2]

FIFA’s Israeli affiliate, the Israel Football Association conducts business in unlawful settlements that are off-limits to Palestinians. The football competitions in the settlements provide services and part-time jobs to settlers, making the settlements more sustainable, and, because of the discriminatory restrictions that the Israeli authorities impose, they do so on a discriminatory basis, allowing Israeli but not Palestinian players and spectators to participate. [3]

2013 - 2017

In 2013, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) brought a complaint to FIFA against Israeli teams playing matches in settlements in the West Bank under the auspices of the Israel Football Association (IFA), including Ma’aleh Adumim, Kiryat Arba, Givat Zeev, Bikat Hayarden and Ariel.

At the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich in May 2015, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) sought to suspend Israel's membership in FIFA. However, PFA President Jibril Rajoub withdrew the proposal just minutes before it was to be put to a vote. Instead, FIFA voted on an amendment proposing the formation of a committee to monitor the movement of Palestinian footballers, Israeli racism, and the status of Israeli league teams based in illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank. In the immediate aftermath of the Congress, Tokyo Sexwale, an activist in the African National Congress and a former South African minister, was appointed to serve as a member of the committee to investigate and advise on the following issues: Israeli restrictions on Palestinian players' movement in the Israeli league as well as West Bank settlement clubs playing in the Israeli league. [4]

In this regard, Israeli scholar Yair Galily claims that the Palestinians only had limited success in raising attention to their 2015 claims against Israel through the attempt to suspend Israel from FIFA – the issue did not receive extensive coverage by the foreign press (only 36 articles were found in the six newspapers examined for this study over a period of about three-and-a-half months), and the coverage was only slightly pro-Palestinian (almost neutral) in terms of the ability of both sides to present their arguments in the coverage. [5] Perhaps this is true, but Galily ignores just how much influence the Zionist lobby has on several organizations, including FIFA. In addition, the double standard that FIFA applies to issues such as the Palestinian one, as well as the inaction of the Arab lobby within FIFA, do not substantiate his claim.

The 66th Congress in Mexico extended the mandate of the FIFA Monitoring Committee Israel-Palestine, which was set up by the 65th FIFA Congress in 2015. In light of the ongoing political conflict, Sexwale stressed the difficulty of the task. He stressed that FIFA does not seek to resolve the political conflict but rather advocate for "Give football a chance," as is the case in other countries around the world.[6]

Pressure has steadily grown on FIFA to reach a decision after a number of delays and broken commitments over the last year. FIFA initially promised to resolve the issue by May 2016, then by October, then by January 2017. But every time it has postponed a decision.[7]

After more delays, Tokyo Sexwale presented his long-awaited report on March 22, 2017, to the FIFA monitoring committee. The report provided the FIFA council meeting on May 9 with three options for dealing with settlement clubs and strongly insists on the need for the FIFA congress to make a decision. The three options presented by Sexwale are: (1) maintaining the status quo; (2) giving the IFA six months to rectify the situation by “desisting to administer football in the territories in question”; and (3) continuing negotiations and leaving it up to the two sides to agree.[8]

There are a number of obvious flaws with options 1 and 3, which Sexwale himself recognizes. Option 1 would endorse the violation of the FIFA statutes by the settlement clubs and renege on FIFA’s obligation under international law, thus undermining FIFA’s basic integrity. Option 3 is not only futile, since negotiations to find a compromise have already been tried and failed, but illegitimate since respect for FIFA’s rules should not be subject to negotiations, just as in football itself.[9]

The logical conclusion from reading Sexwale’s report is that Option 2 is the only one that should be put forward for endorsement by the congress. And indeed, this represents the best means of resolving the fate of settlement clubs. The only objection Sexwale’s report raise is the concern that Israeli authorities could take retaliatory steps to frustrate Palestinian football. But it is up to the Palestinian Football Association to decide whether it is ready to take that risk, and the PFA has chosen to demand that FIFA enforce the rules rather than accept the continued violation of its rights under the FIFA Statutes.

Sexwale made an important point that “Option 2” is “in line with the Crimean resolution in respect of Russia because FIFA must be seen to be acting even-handedly.” A similar situation did indeed occur as a result of Russia’s attempt to integrate Crimean teams within the Russian league system following its annexation of the peninsula in 2014. But FIFA’s response actually was more intransigent in that case. Unlike the six-month deadline that Israel could potentially face, Russia was compelled to immediately exclude the Crimean clubs from its league.[10]

Israeli pushback rests on two dubious claims. First, Israeli officials argue that FIFA’s territorial rules don’t apply to the settlement clubs since the Palestinians do not have permanent borders and the territory on which the settlement teams are located is in fact “disputed” rather than “occupied.” Second, they claim that the Palestinians are mixing politics with football by pushing for the exclusion of settlement teams. These two claims have been thoroughly debunked elsewhere, and the overwhelming international consensus is that the West Bank—including the settlements—is occupied Palestinian territory, not part of Israel. The UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court all share this position.[11]

The 67th FIFA Congress in Manama in 2017, followed the proposal of the FIFA Council with regard to the motion submitted by the Palestinian Football Association – “a request for official recognition of the Palestinian Football Association’s entitlements to all of its rights as described in the FIFA Statutes”. The FIFA Congress approved, with 73% of valid votes, the following proposal: “Considering that the matter is not a Congress competence but a Council competence, that a consolidated report of the monitoring committee is not yet ready, and that more time is needed to evaluate the situation and to take a decision, the Council proposes to the Congress not to vote on the proposal of the Palestinian Football Association and to give time to the Council to take a decision before the end of March 2018.”[12]

At this Congress FIFA decided to again postpone a decision on the status of the illegal settlement clubs following Israeli pressure. The controversy around this delay prompted the Palestine Football Association (PFA) to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against FIFA's decision not to vote on the PFA's motion calling for recognition of its rights, all in accordance with FIFA's statutes. The appeal was registered by CAS on 13 June, 2017, and CAS announced that the case will be heard on 27 November, with a verdict expected in the weeks that follow.[13]

Andreas Zimmermann, professor of international law at the University of Potsdam, Germany, points out that the jurisprudence of the Court of Arbitration for Sport ('CAS'), as well as FIFA's own practice, as evidence that FIFA is defining territory under its Statutes by reference to international law. Accordingly, Israeli settlement clubs playing on occupied Palestinian territory without PFA’s consent violate Art. 72, para. 2 FIFA Statutes. Furthermore, FIFA’s tolerance of settlement clubs implicitly recognizes Israeli settlements, and thus violates FIFA’s duty to respect the Palestinian’s right to self-determination under Art. 3 FIFA Statutes. [14]

On October 27, 2017, the FIFA Council announced its decision not to take any action on the issue of settler clubs playing in the occupied territories. [15] This came after the FIFA Monitoring Committee submitted its final report, chaired by Tokyo Sexwale. Shortly before Sexwale submitted his report to the FIFA Council, a group of South African figures sent him a letter criticizing him for his failure to take a firm stance to date and for his delay in resolving the issue. The letter urged Sexwale to remember his struggle against injustice and stand with FIFA's statutes. [16]

FIFA representatives met in Kolkata, India, and cited the “exceptional complexity and sensitivity” and “political” nature of the subject. It has been stated by FIFA that "given that the final status of the West Bank territories is the responsibility of the competent international public law authorities, the FIFA Council agrees that FIFA, as a member of the FIFA Council, shall remain neutral in political matters, as stated in its Statutes."[17]

“Furthermore, it was agreed that any interference by FIFA in the status quo of football in the relevant territories without the consent of the parties concerned might aggravate the situation of football not only in the territories in question, but also in the greater region affected – which would not be in the best interests of the game.”[18]

The late South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, "If you are neutral in the face of injustice, you have chosen to stand with the oppressor." In fact, neutrality is a colonial tactic that enables control and sustains domination. It is well known that neutrality allows the status quo to persist, thus enshrining the existence of these settlements as a fait accompli. Because of the neutrality of many Western organizations, such as FIFA, Israel has been able to maintain and perpetuate its policy of dominance and expansion in occupied Palestine, as well as to commit the genocide in Gaza.

The PFA Renews its Call after the Genocide

Jibril Rjoub, the president of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), called for Israel to be expelled from the FIFA in May 2024. The PFA made this proposal based on the fact that FIFA statutes were being violated, particularly in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The PFA has accused the Israeli Football Association (IFA) of holding matches on occupied Palestinian territory, racial discrimination, political interference, and systematic destruction of PFA facilities as well as holding matches in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. The PFA’s proposal was submitted in March 2024.

In May 2024, the FIFA Council reiterated that “football should never become hostage to politics and always remain a vector for peace; a source of hope; a force of good. Uniting people rather than dividing.”

In fact, sports have always been associated with politics. As a matter of fact, sports outside of politics and isolation are rare indeed. Sport and politics overlap in many cases, to the extent that it is difficult to separate them from one another, especially in cases like the Palestinian one. The problem is not mixing sports with politics, but rather abandoning humanitarian principles to preserve personal interests. As well as boasting about moral values without putting these values into practice. FIFA calls for adherence and respect for the law while at the same time it is corrupt and dishonest.[19]

As a result of this proposal, FIFA rejected the Palestinian Football Association’s request for an immediate vote on expelling Israel. FIFA rejected this request because an independent legal assessment of the proposal would be needed. The FIFA Council was scheduled to review that assessment in July 2024. However, there have been several postponements, and the FIFA Council meeting was pushed back to October 3, 2024.

A FIFA Disciplinary Committee decided to launch an investigation into the “alleged” discrimination offense raised by the Palestine Football Association in its complaint. To investigate the issue of Israeli football teams “allegedly” based on Palestinian territory participating in Israeli competitions, FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee was entrusted with the task of producing a report for the FIFA Council on the matter.

A year later, during the 75th FIFA Congress held in Paraguay, on May 15, 2025, Susan Shalabi, vice president of the Palestine Football Association and a member of the Asian Football Confederation's executive committee, urged FIFA leaders not to wait another year, but to act immediately.

“Let’s not keep passing the bucket from one committee to another while football in Palestine is being erased. All we are asking for is a clear update on the status of the matter and an exact date in which the investigation will be concluded,” she said. Shalabi asked FIFA to set a one-month deadline for the governance panel to report back to the ruling council chaired by FIFA president Gianni Infantino. In her powerful speech Shalabi said “Our issue is stuck in a highly politicized process…Visible, undeniable, but sadly ignored.” [20]

FIFA took 16 months from May 2024 to October 2025 to issue a statement concerning the PFA's proposal for Israel to be expelled from FIFA, as well as the Israeli settlement clubs in the West Bank. The FIFA Council, the organization’s top decision-making body, holding its penultimate meeting of the year, failed to address either a potential ban on Israel from the international game or the issue of settlement clubs in the West Bank, first raised by the Palestinian FA (PFA) in 2013.[21]

Instead, Infantino and his Council offered a message of peace. Infantino said: “At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world. Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity. FIFA cannot solve geopolitical problems, but it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.”[22]

In fact, if FIFA really cared about those suffering in the many conflicts taking place today around the world, it would have issued a statement about the destruction of the sports infrastructure and the killing of hundreds of athletes in Gaza.

How can football convey a message of peace and unity in a world where the entire sports infrastructure has been destroyed and hundreds of athletes and players have been killed, most recently Suleiman al-Obeid, the “Pele of Palestine”? It is unclear what kind of peace Infantino is referring to when his words contradict the position he put forward in his previous statements. It has been previously stated by him that football is a means of combating racial discrimination, violence, and riots, as well as a means of establishing human rights, equality, and justice in the world. [23]

In an ironic turn of events, on one hand, FIFA had paid attention to the workers' conditions and to the state of Qatar's sports facilities ahead of the 2022 World Cup. It criticized the United States decision in 2017 to impose a travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries, and expressed "humanitarian sympathy" towards Ukraine, its "civilized", blue-eyed neighbor. On the other hand, FIFA never contacted the administrations of the destroyed clubs in Gaza as of today. It has not released any statements condemning the destruction of the sports infrastructure and the killing of Palestinian athletes.[24]

The Palestinian Football Association’s chief legal adviser, Dr. Kat Vilarev, accused FIFA and UEFA of violating their own statutes and international human rights obligations by refusing to expel Israel from global competitions, despite what she described as “mounting genocide evidence” documented by reputable international bodies. “Given the complicity of Israeli sports institutions in the Gaza genocide, FIFA and UEFA are legally bound to act,” Vilarev said. “Their statutes, human rights policies and disciplinary codes require them to align with the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. FIFA, in particular, has a legal duty to respect and protect internationally recognized human rights.”[25]

“Israeli athletes are soldiers, and some publicly call for Gaza’s destruction,” she said. “Israeli clubs and associations openly back occupation forces and even hold matches on occupied Palestinian land. That directly aids illegal settlements and the occupation.”[26] She added that some Israeli settlers competing for clubs in the occupied West Bank are committing war crimes under international law. “Forcibly displaced Palestinians have seen their lands seized for settlements and football clubs built atop them. Any state can prosecute FIFA and UEFA presidents for facilitating crimes against humanity through inaction,” she said.[27]

Israeli Settlements and their clubs against the International Law

In July 2024, the UN’s highest court declared that Israel’s settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, are in breach of international law. The 15-judge panel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered an advisory opinion on the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of Palestinian land. By 11 votes to four, the court “is of the opinion that the state of Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful”, and that it should come to an end “as rapidly as possible”, the ICJ heard. [28]

“Such integration and conduct within the IFA amounts to recognizing as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory. This is in stark violation of international law, as reiterated by the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024, that stressed that the transfer of Israeli settlers to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel’s maintenance of their presence, is in violation of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and Israel’s obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention,” the experts said.[29]

In October 2024, UN experts stated that FIFA must respect and demand respect for international law from Israeli football clubs, UN experts said. Over the years, at least eight football clubs have developed or have been identified as playing in Israeli colonial settlements of the occupied West Bank. Israeli clubs, many of which have exhibited racism towards the Palestinian people and players over the years, are integrated in the Israeli Football Association (IFA). A ninth club, based inside Israel, plays some home games in a settlement.

Amnesty International has sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA calling on them to suspend the Israeli Football Association (IFA) from their tournaments until it excludes clubs based in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) from continuing to play in Israel’s football leagues. “As Israel’s national football team gears up for World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Italy, Israel continues to perpetrate genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Over 800 athletes, players and sports officials are among the more than 65,000 people Israeli forces have killed in a deliberate campaign of wholesale devastation, forced displacement and starvation of civilians,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General. At the same time, Israel is brutally expanding its illegal settlements and legitimizing illegal outposts in the West Bank as part of its unlawful occupation of Palestinian Territory. It is nothing short of a disgrace that the IFA is still allowing clubs from these settlements to keep playing in its leagues, after multiple warnings for more than a decade.” [30]

The United Nations Security Council, the United Nations General Assembly, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Court of Justice and the High Contracting Parties to the Convention have all affirmed that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the Israeli-occupied territories. Numerous UN resolutions and prevailing international opinion hold that Israeli settlements are a violation of international law, including UN Security Council resolutions 446 in 1979, 478 in 1980, and 2334 in 2016. In 2014, 126 Representatives at the reconvened Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions declared the settlements illegal, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross. [31]

On the whole, therefore, there is a uniform position taken by the international community at large that the territory in question does not constitute Israeli territory, but rather occupied Palestinian territory, which should then also inform, as will subsequently be shown, the practice of FIFA.[32]

In that regard it ought to be already noted that FIFA has already in the past consistently followed the practice of the organs of the United Nations, even where there was – contrary to the situation prevailing in the case at hand – much less of a consensus within the international community as to the underlying legal situation under international law. [33] It must be noted, however, that FIFA today no longer consults with the UN and refuses to listen to the UN, international law and human rights organizations. [34]

In particular, in 1976 the South African Football Association was formally expelled from FIFA after the Credentials Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations had determined that the then minority government of South Africa was not representative of the overall population of South Africa. FIFA did so despite the fact that many member States of the United Nations had then considered this decision of the General Assembly to be controversial, as not being compatible with the Charter of the United Nations, and as circumventing the prerogatives of the Security Council under Articles 5 and 6 the Charter.[35]

This stands in contrast to the situation at hand where all main organs of the United Nations, i.e. the Secretary General, the General Assembly, the Security Council, as well as the International Court of Justice, have, as shown, unanimously taken the position that the territory in question constitutes occupied Palestinian territory. It accordingly stands to reason that there are even better reasons for FIFA to once again follow the practice of the United Nations, as being representative of the view of the by far overwhelming majority of its members.[36]

Mixing sports with politics

Throughout history, there has never been any separation between sport and politics or other aspects such as economics or culture that affect it in any way. It is impossible for sports to exist outside of politics. There are many different aspects of sport that are inherently national or political (country names, flags, chants, national anthems, expressions of national pride, patriotic pride, sacrifices, etc.).

Today, we see FIFA and the Zionists repeating the phrase "sports have nothing to do with politics." The former is trying to justify its clear bias towards the Zionist lobby through its neutral stance on the participation of Israeli settlement teams in the Israeli Football Association league and the genocide in Gaza. Meanwhile, the latter just wants to justify its arbitrary practices against Palestinian sports, claiming that Palestinians are mixing politics with sport by pressing for the exclusion of settlement teams from the league.

It is important to note that sport is a tool that is used by humans for various purposes, whether it is competitive, health-related, ethical, national, political, ideological, or any other purpose imaginable. Its effectiveness depends on how it is used. It could be used as a double-edged sword that can have positive and negative effects.

Since the British mandate, Zionists have criticized Arabs for mixing sport with politics. And they repeat it today. It was in their interest to use sport for their national and political objectives, but they opposed it when it reached a point where it posed a threat to their goals. As part of its strategy during the Mandate period, the Zionist movement exploited sport in order to achieve its goals. A major part of this was achieved through the dominance of the sports movement in Palestine, the marginalization of Arabs, and the representation of Palestine as Jewish on the local and regional sporting landscape.

To conceal its true nature, the paramilitary Betar organization of the 1920s (whose fans today chant for the death of Arabs during football matches) pretended to be a sports organization in order to conceal its true intentions during that era. During the Arab Revolt of 1936, Jewish sports teams maintained close ties with the British government as a means of suppressing the uprising. It is also important to note that Jewish sports organizations maintain close ties with Zionist paramilitary terrorist organizations, including the Haganah, Palmach, Irgun, Lehi, and Stern Gang.

It should be noted that the main problem lies not in the mixing of sports with politics, but in the combination of sports and politics as a means for deception. As a matter of fact, deception has been a fundamental part of the Zionist mentality and tradition for a long time, even from the days of the first Zionist leaders up until the present. In this regard, Moshe Sharett, Israel's first foreign minister, said, "I have learned that the State of Israel cannot be ruled in our time except through deception and adventurism."

Israel has always had a nightmare when it comes to Palestinian sport; it views it as something Palestinians can celebrate as a political achievement and sees it as a source of great pride for them. Israel has always obstructed efforts to develop Palestinian sports, which it deems an emerging type of weapon. Through sport Palestinian youth are also highlighted by the Palestinian flag and name on local, Arab, and international stages as a symbol of their national identity.

It has always been FIFA's policy to keep politics out of sports, but after the Ukraine war, this policy has disappeared. However, during the Gaza genocide, this slogan was repeated numerous times. Today, FIFA, however, appears to be using sports for political purposes, as evidenced by the increasing sycophancy that its president has shown towards President Donald Trump over the past year. It culminated in the presentation of him with an award recognizing his contribution to peace.

As far as the Israeli Palestinian conflict, FIFA is clear that it is determined not to expel Israel, to exempt it from punishment, and to use its "neutral" stance on the Israeli Palestinian conflict as a political tool.

The neutrality of FIFA is complicity

The neutrality of FIFA has been adaptable when compared to its reaction concerning various geopolitical crises. In 2022, its decision to suspend Russia due to the Ukraine invasion as it would not allow it to compete was justified as a necessary measure. However, its persistent silence on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the political fallout of Israeli military actions stands in contrast, with no equivalent sanctions or exclusions. Such a discrepancy implies that FIFA is not politically involved based on principle, but it is based on context and convenience.[37]

While FIFA said it “must remain neutral with regard to political matters,” it has in fact made a political decision not to sanction Israel, effectively legitimizing the settlements and opting not to apply its own rules when it was politically inconvenient to do so. FIFA's decision also ignores the obvious precedent of the Crimean clubs, which were barred from competing in Russian leagues following Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.[38]

During the previous years FIFA used face-to-the-crowd campaigns against racism and discrimination, which frequently involved the use of slogans and symbolic gestures during a tournament ceremony. Nevertheless, the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States was a clear change. Where once stood the once-famous Say No to Racism message, there is now the less specific Football Unites the World, a change advocacy groups believe was purposeful to evade tension with host government messages.[39]

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has told the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session sport must retain its political neutrality and be the standard-bearer of global unity in a world of “extreme aggression and division”.[40]

“I know that there are decisions which are not easy to take: difficult decisions. But in taking these decisions, we always have to obstruct any political stance. Sometimes even personal positions and opinions, and put the values of sport on top. So, we have to avoid populism, we have to avoid demagogy, and we have to embrace our values which have made the history of all of our sports in the last hundred or more years. Respect, tolerance, inclusion, no discrimination, and unity, even if this is sometimes not so easy.[41]

If FIFA was truly concerned and sincere about football worldwide, if it truly wanted football to serve humanity, if it truly respected and obeyed its statutes, it would have at least issued a statement condemning the destruction of sports infrastructure and the killing machine Israel has wrought on the Palestinian people. FIFA does not seem to be respecting the rules and regulations that it has enshrined in its constitution. Rather than bragging about democracy, equality, and human rights, FIFA needs to put them into reality by practicing them instead of talking about them.

The genocide in Gaza was a disaster on so many levels. As part of this network of levels, we talk about the infrastructure of the economic system, the health system, the educational system, the social system, and the athletic system. Additionally, it is about the hopes, ambitions, and aspirations of Palestinians. In essence, it is a deliberate attempt to erase the past, the present, and the future of the whole Palestinian population.

As a response to the request for the reconstruction of sporting facilities destroyed by Israeli bombing on the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian Olympic Committee at the time, the International Olympic Committee expressed its sympathy for the many innocent victims of the ongoing conflict in the region and their families.

However, it has not commented on the request. Neither FIFA nor the International Olympic Committee considers Palestine’s occupation, ethnic cleansing, or genocide. Instead, they see it as a war between equals.

The Palestinian cause has become one of the most important compass points for determining the moral status of countries and institutions around the globe. As a result of the genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza, any doubts about the fact that the West is utterly racist and utterly hypocritical have been removed, and if there was ever any doubt about that fact before, no longer exist.

Over the last few decades, Arab nations have been criticized by the West for their inability to respect their own constitutions. There has always been criticism of their violations of human rights, including women's rights. However, the events in Gaza indicate that, when it comes to Israel, the West's principles about humanity and human rights including women’s rights remain frozen without being applied. As a result of the events in Palestine and in particular the genocide in Gaza, hidden truths have been exposed and many have become aware of the falsity of Western claims about democracy and human rights.

The Gaza genocide has proven several things: that moral standards may never have existed to begin with; that if they did, they may no longer hold any value or urgency; or that they may simply be words confined to constitutions, statutes, and textbooks assigned to college students.

The genocide in Gaza has sparked a revolution in the political and moral consciousness of the international community, particularly in the West. Today, the Palestinians are gaining widespread support around the world as there is widespread sympathy for their just cause. It extends beyond the sympathy the world showed for South Africans' struggle during the apartheid regime, which many South Africans have noted.

Endnotes

[1] FIFA must respect international law regarding Israeli football clubs: UN experts | OHCHR

[2] Arbitration CAS 2020/A/7342 Club X. v. C. & Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), award of 31 May 2021. TAS xxx

[3] Political football: FIFA sponsoring soccer matches in illegal settlements on stolen Palestinian land, rights group says - Salon.com

A lot of money is involved, too. Financial documents, the rights the Human Rights Watch said, show that the Israel Football Association “is engaging in business activity that supports the settlements.” Settlement soccer clubs give jobs to settlers, “thus propping up a system that exists through serious human rights violations.” Moreover, the settlement clubs provide the Israel Football Association and FIFA with revenue from ticket sales and broadcasting rights. FIFA, the Israeli Football Association and settlement soccer clubs are all nonprofit associations. But Human Rights Watch noted that, according to a report conducted by the author of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, FIFA “engages in substantial commercial activity.”

[4] SUMMARY OF THE 66TH FIFA CONGRESS (MEXICO 2016) - Bizarre Communications

[5] Yair Galily, (PDF) From terror to public diplomacy: Jibril Rajoub and the Palestinian Authorities’ uses of sport in fragmentary Israeli– Palestinian conflict

[6] wbn.ps/print/89069

[7] Will FIFA Give Israeli Settlement Clubs a Yellow Card? – LobeLog

[8] Will FIFA Give Israeli Settlement Clubs a Yellow Card? – LobeLog

[9] Will FIFA Give Israeli Settlement Clubs a Yellow Card? – LobeLog

[10] Will FIFA Give Israeli Settlement Clubs a Yellow Card? – LobeLog

[11] Will FIFA Give Israeli Settlement Clubs a Yellow Card? – LobeLog

[12] 67th FIFA Congress, Manama 2017

[13] Ignoring its Own Rules and International Law, FIFA Opts to Support Israeli Settlements | Institute for Palestine Studies

[14] Andreas Zimmermann, Legal status of Israeli football clubs located in the occupied Palestinian territory and ensuing legal consequences for FIFA, University of Potsdam, Germany. P. iii.

[15] South Africa: Tokyo Sexwale's Report Frustrates Palestinian Hopes - allAfrica.com

[16] South Africa: Tokyo Sexwale's Report Frustrates Palestinian Hopes - allAfrica.com

[17] FIFA will not take action on Israeli settlement teams | Football | Al Jazeera

[18] FIFA will not take action on Israeli settlement teams | Football | Al Jazeera

[19] 'Game Over': FIFA is under Increasing Pressure to Expel Israel - Palestine Chronicle

[20] No Accountability: FIFA Has No Intention to Expel or Punish Israel - Palestine Chronicle

[21] FIFA’s ‘peace vehicle’ fails to address Palestine situation - Inside World Football

[22] FIFA’s ‘peace vehicle’ fails to address Palestine situation - Inside World Football

[23] FIFA Insists on Not Expelling Israel, Choosing Silence over Justice - Palestine Chronicle

[24] FIFA Insists on Not Expelling Israel, Choosing Silence over Justice - Palestine Chronicle

[25] Palestinian lawyer slams FIFA, UEFA for shielding Israel | Daily Sabah

[26] Palestinian lawyer slams FIFA, UEFA for shielding Israel | Daily Sabah

[27] Palestinian lawyer slams FIFA, UEFA for shielding Israel | Daily Sabah

[28] Top court finds Israel's West Bank settlements violate international law

[29] UN experts: FIFA must respect international law regarding Israeli football clubs

[30] Global: Amnesty International calls on FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israeli Football Association - Amnesty International

[31] Legality of Israeli settlements - Wikipedia

[32] Ibid,

[33] Ibid,

[34] Issam Khalidi, One Hundred Years of Football in Palestine (Amman: Dar al-Shorook 2013) p. 106.

As evidence, when the Palestine Football Association, headquartered in Gaza City, applied for membership in 1964, FIFA sent a letter to the Palestinian Football Association informing it that one problem had arisen: determining the precise status of the Gaza Strip. Upon receiving a response from the United Nations, FIFA hoped to submit the application to the appropriate committee, but this would not happen until the end of February 1965. In March 1965, Dr. Keiser, FIFA's secretary general, received a letter from the United Nations in which UN officials explained that, according to the Armistice Agreement signed between Israel and Egypt in Rhodes in February 1949, Gaza was "territory under the administration" of Egypt (at that time the United Arab Republic). This is not a discussion of Palestinian membership; rather, it is intended to highlight the fact that FIFA took into account the decisions and conclusions of the United Nations on matters related to the Palestinian issue, even if these were sometimes unfair.

[35] Andreas Zimmermann, p. 9

[36] Andreas Zimmermann, p. 9 – 10.

[37] FIFA’s Political Double Standards Neutrality or Opportunism

[38] Ignoring its Own Rules and International Law, FIFA Opts to Support Israeli Settlements | Institute for Palestine Studies

[39] FIFA’s Political Double Standards Neutrality or Opportunism

[40] FIFA President tells IOC Session sport is most “powerful tool to unite people”

[41] FIFA President tells IOC Session sport is most “powerful tool to unite people”