FIFA football fans, UEFA, call for “Israel to show the red card”

While Israel is preparing to play 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, its soccer teams face calls to be banned from all competitions.

Football enthusiasts around the world were chanting banners, carrying red signs calling for FIFA and the European Football Associations (UEFA) “Israel with the red card”.

“It is amazing to reach this extent,” Ahmed Al -Mahawan Ahmed Dyer told CBC News. “All this kind of things, frankly, surprised me with pleasure.”

The campaign started on February 12 during the Champions League match in Scotland. Celtic FC fans expressed their support for the Palestinians and called FIFA and UEFA To “show Israel the red card.”

According to the organizersThe protest was stimulating Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

“Israel commits genocide and ethnic cleansing; it is practicing the apartheid, and it occupies the Palestinian territories illegally. All this is in violation of international law.”

“We are inviting football fans all over the world who appreciate life, humanity, dignity, freedom, peace and justice to be the courage and use of your platform to stand against Israel’s crimes and stand with Palestine,” the group continued.

The campaign has spread since then to countries like Italyand Spainand Belgiumand Malaysiaand Tunisiaand Brazil and ChileanAmong other things.

FIFA and UEFA did not respond to the repeated CBC requests for comment.

The protests come after Israel has almost killed 50,000 Palestinians in Gaza In the post. 7 operations, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Among the deaths of Gaza are at least 734 Palestinian athletes and scouts, including 382 football players, According to the Palestinian Football Association (PFA). The Israeli army says it was killed At least 20,000 gunmenWithout providing evidence.

Israel launched its attack in Gaza after an attack on Hamas on October 7, 2023, where about 1,200 were killed and 250 others were taken into account, according to the Israeli looting.

We will not deter: the Israeli Football Authority

In a statement of CBC News, the Israel Football Association (IFA) said that its teams and athletes will not be deterred from participating in international sporting events.

“We have faced a good number of incidents of ignorance, self -hatred, and the sophisticated hatred that outwardly expressing protest. The facts and reality are known to us and for many people, and no stupid sign will change them.”

This is not the first time that Israel has faced scrutiny in the world of sports since October 7.

Before the Paris Olympics 2024, the demonstrators – including some French lawmakers Deputy – The International Olympic Committee called for a ban on Israel.

In the same year, 12 football societies in the Middle East -The President of the Football Association in West Asia, Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein, was drafted by the half-brother of Jordanian King Abdullah II-FIFA to ban Israel from its competitions.

This was followed by PFA FIFA request to suspend Israel after it claimed that IFA broke the rules of discrimination in FIFA. FIFA council order Independent legal analysis and opening a discriminationBut the delay in deciding on the suspension of Israel.

The conflict has led to tensions in football matches that involve Israeli teams. On November 6 and 7, 2024, the local Dutch club fans clashed and the Israeli team MacBi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam, which led to five hospitals and dozens of arrests.

Football journalist Ronan Murphy says the protests can make some Israeli teams and fans feel insecure in attending matches.

He told CBC News: “I always think this tension about the visit of the fans or the teams playing Israeli clubs and the Israeli national football team playing in matches,” he told CBC News.

“It may reach the theater in which the fans will not travel for fear of violence, or that the locals will not want the Israeli fans to come for fear of violence themselves.”

Awareness is the key to the campaign

FIFA and UEFA publicly did not comment on the “Show Israel the Red Card” campaign, which is not surprised by Murphy.

“Regardless of what they say, it will be an unpopular decision. It is impossible for such an organization to satisfy everyone,” he said.

Bdair Football Conteerle Banned blanket by FIFA and UEFA Soon after the invasion of Russia, Ukraine.

“We have seen the amount of harm to a specific country. We no longer see Russia in the World Cup, and we do not see Russia in European competitions, we hardly talk about the Russian league,” said BDAIR, a well -known fan of Milan on X.

Although BDAIR says he does not think it is likely to prohibit a similar blanket ban on Israel, it is important to highlight the “hypocrisy” that Russia has been banned alone.

He also says that the awareness of the campaign on the ordeal of the Palestinians is more important than the suspension of Israeli teams.

“What matters to me is that people know, and this is what these protests revolve around,” he said.