September 29, 12:00 PM - Zoom
Kick Israel Out of FIFA: No To Zionism In Football
note: this is Canada focused, but the movement to ban Israel from International sports is growing and we can all learn from each other
This week, we (the Anti-Zionist Football Coalition) sent two letters to the Board of Canada Soccer, demanding they take action to ensure the Israel Football Association (IFA) is suspended from FIFA and the UEFA. (see CBC News, “Advocacy group calls on Canada Soccer to refuse to host World Cup if Israel Plays” and full text of the letter on our website).
The IFA illegally organizes FIFA-sanctioned games in ililegal settlements, fails to manage its affairs independently of the Israeli government and military, provides tangible support to the military, and supports its players who incite genocide and its clubs that are belligerently racist, all in violation of FIFA and UEFA Statutes as well as international law. International law not only applies to FIFA as an international organization (ICJ, July 2024), it also brings itself within its confines through Article 2 of its Human Rights Policy which provides that “[w]here FIFA’s operations extend to situations of armed conflict, it will also respect the standards of international humanitarian law”. Meanwhile, FIFA and the UEFA send millions in shekels to the IFA annually.
While the first letter focused on the IFA’s legal violations and Canada Soccer / FIFA’s responsibilities, the other letter was sent directly to Board Vice President Bérubé, whose “passion for human rights is matched only by his passion for soccer”, says Canada Soccer. We specifically sent Bérubé a letter based on his history with the UN Human Rights Commission and his “sustained commitment to the rights of people with disabilities” which garnered him two honorary doctorates. Israel’s ongoing genocide is a mass disabling event. It is incongruent for individuals like VP Bérubé, to claim to support disabled people, while staying silent while hundreds of thousands of individuals are disabled through targeted armed violence. Further, Israel’s mass disablement is not isolated to the last two years. It is an integral part of Israel's occupation and apartheid system.
It’s past time to take action. Email the Canada Soccer Board to demand action (just like the action they took to ban games with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
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