by Itamar Marcus
A
friendly football (soccer) tournament promoting peace was held in Los
Angeles for Palestinian and Israeli children. The game was sponsored by
Children United and supervised by Jose Mourinho, coach of the Spanish
team Real Madrid. According to the Spanish newspaper Marca:
"It
aims to create a warm atmosphere in order to draw the nations together,
and support peace between them... Mourinho's influence may be much
stronger than the influence of the governments, and football is capable
of achieving what political agreements and treaties have been unable to
achieve".
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 8, 2012]
The
event represents a breakthrough and may signal a change in Palestinian
policy. The fact that the event took place is significant, but even more
noteworthy is the fact that the official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, reported on the tournament without condemnation.
Palestinian Media Watch
has reported that official PA policy is to ban sporting events
promoting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. While positive
Israeli-Palestinian sporting events have taken place in the past, they
have usually been condemned by the PA.
The
uniqueness of this story becomes apparent when one contrasts it with a
similar tournament for youth held in Canada last year. The same PA daily
reported strong condemnation of the tournament and the appointment of a
PA "investigative committee":
"The
normalization tournament in Canada [between Israelis and Palestinian
youth] has created a strong outcry on the Palestinian street ... Abd
Al-Majid Hujjah, Secretary-General of the Palestinian Football
Association, announced that the Association intends to appoint an
investigative committee to look into the circumstances. .. He emphasized
that the investigative committee will submit its
recommendations before legal steps are taken against the players. Hujjah
said that the position of the Palestinian Football Association on the
issue of normalization [with Israel] in sports is well-known already,
having been made public, officially, on more than one occasion. This
position has been disseminated among everyone involved and it rules out
any contact by the Palestinian Football Association with any activity
related to the Israeli side."
Furthermore,
even in the last few months, the PA sports establishment has stressed
its opposition to joint Israel-Palestinian sporting events. Jibril
Rajoub, Chairman of the Palestinian Football Association and head of the
Palestinian Olympic committee, explained PA policy as follows:
"I also say on behalf of Palestine, that the last thing that can be
found in the lexicon of Palestinian sportsmen is normalization with the
occupation. Impossible, impossible, impossible, with no exceptions! I
understand by normalization that the relationship between me and you
will be normal, that we'll play [sports] together and there will be a
joint program. I say: there will never be normalization [with Israel] in
sports."
[PA TV (Fatah), May 17, 2012]
Click to view
The next day he stressed PA opposition to "normalization" through sports yet again:
"Jibril
Rajoub, called to expel Israel from all world Olympic associations and
committees... He emphasized that the term normalization [of relations
with Israel] does not exist in the Palestinian sports lexicon."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 18, 2012]
PMW will follow sports activities in the PA to see if this represents a change in policy or is a single event.
For more examples of PA opposition to peace-building, click here.
The
following is the story of sports event held in Los Angeles that was
meant to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians:
"While
the experienced Portuguese coach, Jose Mourinho, was leading the
practices of his team, the Spanish Real Madrid, on the fields of UCLA in
the US... he decided to take a break in order to be photographed, for a
memento, with a group of (Palestinian and Israeli) children, sponsored
by a charity project that seeks harmony between the two peoples.
Mourinho is a prominent member of the project, called Children United,
and personally funds an initiative that holds a small football
tournament between Palestinian and Israeli children, in the hope of
spreading the seeds of peace in the Arab region. A journalist for the
Portuguese SIC channel in the Middle East, Henrique Cymerman, revealed
that 'Mourinho already visited Palestine and Israel in 2005, and hopes
to visit again as soon as he can, because he is very interested in this
peace project.' Cymerman noted in a statement to (Spanish newspaper)
Marca: 'The project sponsors children who have never before seen a
Palestinian or an Israeli without a weapon. It aims to create a warm
atmosphere in order to draw the nations together, and supports peace
between them.' He emphasized, 'Mourinho's influence may be much stronger
than the influence of governments, and football is capable of achieving
what political agreements and treaties have been unable to achieve...'.
The
children were very happy to be photographed with Mourinho, alongside
some of the Real stars - Ronaldo, Pepe, and Coentrão. The children will
also be participating in a short, 15-minute game during half-time in the
friendly game between Real Madrid and Los Angeles Galaxy."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 4, 2012]
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