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Athletes call on UEFA to halt Israel for genocide against Palestinians
(MENAFN) A coalition of athletes has urged the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend Israel due to alleged human rights violations against Palestinians.
In a letter sent Tuesday to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, the group Athletes for Peace, representing over 70 sports figures, called for the organization to cut ties with the Israel Football Association. The letter, drafted by the Game Over Israel initiative, is backed by Athletes 4 Peace, The Gaza Tribunal, and The Hind Rajab Foundation.
“No shared venue, stage, or arena in international civil society should welcome a regime that commits genocide, apartheid, and other crimes against humanity,” the letter stated.
The petition received support from high-profile players, including French World Cup winner Paul Pogba, Dutch forward Anwar El Ghazi, Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech, and Spanish winger Adama Traore.
“Israel’s continued impunity for such crimes will only be ended by the weight of collective conscientious action, including measures to block their entry to sporting or cultural events and activities,” the letter added.
The athletes addressed Ceferin directly, referencing his assertion that “football belongs to everyone,” and cautioned that allowing individuals responsible for harming human rights into the sport risks undermining football’s core values.
The campaign is part of an ongoing effort to push UEFA to bar Israel from participating in tournaments over military actions in Gaza. According to reports, Israeli strikes since October 2023 have killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, injured over 170,000, and rendered the Gaza Strip largely uninhabitable.
In a letter sent Tuesday to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, the group Athletes for Peace, representing over 70 sports figures, called for the organization to cut ties with the Israel Football Association. The letter, drafted by the Game Over Israel initiative, is backed by Athletes 4 Peace, The Gaza Tribunal, and The Hind Rajab Foundation.
“No shared venue, stage, or arena in international civil society should welcome a regime that commits genocide, apartheid, and other crimes against humanity,” the letter stated.
The petition received support from high-profile players, including French World Cup winner Paul Pogba, Dutch forward Anwar El Ghazi, Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech, and Spanish winger Adama Traore.
“Israel’s continued impunity for such crimes will only be ended by the weight of collective conscientious action, including measures to block their entry to sporting or cultural events and activities,” the letter added.
The athletes addressed Ceferin directly, referencing his assertion that “football belongs to everyone,” and cautioned that allowing individuals responsible for harming human rights into the sport risks undermining football’s core values.
The campaign is part of an ongoing effort to push UEFA to bar Israel from participating in tournaments over military actions in Gaza. According to reports, Israeli strikes since October 2023 have killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, injured over 170,000, and rendered the Gaza Strip largely uninhabitable.
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