pc 14 ottobre - Massimo sostegno alla manifestazione di UDINE contro la partita Italia/Israele

Today, genocidal Israel is playing a football match that shouldn’t be happening.   UEFA and FIFA should have banned Israel years ago over its apartheid regime and its teams in illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land. Now, given its genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, Israel should be immediately banned by FIFA and UEFA as a legal, not just ethical, obligation.   The Italian men’s national team should have refused to play the World Cup qualifier match with a team representing an apartheid regime committing genocide, including sporticide.   Where states and institutions are failing, the people are rising up.   In the Italian city of Udine, twice as many demonstrators will be protesting outside the match as fans inside, as ticket sales have flopped despite discounts and offers.   300 sports, grassroots, student, labor and Palestine solidarity groups have endorsed the mobilization to shout no sports as usual with Team Genocide. In a recent poll, 80% of Italians who expressed an opinion called for excluding Israel from international sports.   Join them now! ­

Pledge No Rest for UEFA until it bans genocidal Israel

The fragile ceasefire agreement is bringing some desperately needed respite for our people in Gaza. However, we know all too well that only continued pressure and serious accountability measures, including lawful sanctions, will help stop Israel’s genocide and end its 77-year regime of settler-colonialism and apartheid.   Israel’s genocide continues, albeit more quietly. Israel’s imposed famine continues. Israel’s grave crimes against Palestinians continue.   Never have there been as many voices calling on FIFA and UEFA to ban Israel from world football, from the 47-member Asian Football Confederation, to the Turkish Football Federation, eight UN Experts, Norwegian Football Association President Lise Klaveness, Bohemian FC, Amnesty International, former footballer Eric Cantona, the Italian Football Coaches Association, Ireland Men's National Team Manager Heimir Hallgrímsson, former Secretary of the South African Football Players Union Sipho Ndzuzo, 45 members of the Italian and European Parliaments, dozens of fan clubs and 1.5 million petition signatories.   This list must continue to grow and only our people power can make that happen.   Join Italians protesting today. And continue tomorrow to pressure football players, staff, teams and sports bodies in your area to support the growing calls to isolate apartheid Israel, just as apartheid South Africa once was.    Excluding Israel from international sports has begun … from below. We can do it.