European Football Federations Urged to Boycott Israel Amid Gaza Genocide

Strategic Insights -

The Game Over Israel campaign is calling on nine European football federations to boycott the Israeli national team and Israeli club teams, amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The campaign, which will officially launch on Wednesday, targets Scottish, English, Irish, French, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, Greek, and Norwegian football federations. The decision comes as a United Nations inquiry found that Israel has committed genocide in Palestine.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Game Over Israel campaign is calling on nine European football federations to boycott the Israeli national team and Israeli club teams.
  • The campaign targets Scottish, English, Irish, French, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, Greek, and Norwegian football federations.
  • The decision is in response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, as declared by a United Nations inquiry.
  • The campaign argues that European federations have the ability to make the decision to boycott Israel without needing to rely on Uefa.
  • The Scottish FA is being targeted following the Scottish Parliament's recent vote to boycott Israel.
  • The campaign has been backed by several prominent individuals, including former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, and British punk performer Bobby Vylan.
  • The campaign also has the support of organisations including the Hind Rajab Foundation, The Gaza Tribunal, Health Workers 4 Palestine, and Tech for Palestine.
  • Former UN human rights official Craig Mokhiber and president of the Gaza Tribunal Richard Falk are among those advising the campaign.
  • A protest is set to take place in Scotland, with details to be confirmed in due course.

Statistics:

  • 9 European football federations targeted by the campaign: Scotland, England, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Greece, and Norway.
  • 3 prominent individuals backing the campaign: Gary Lineker, Liam Cunningham, and Bobby Vylan.
  • 4 global organisations supporting the campaign: Hind Rajab Foundation, The Gaza Tribunal, Health Workers 4 Palestine, and Tech for Palestine.
  • 2 individuals advising the campaign: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a British-Palestinian plastic surgeon, and Abed Ayoub, director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

Sources:

  • The National
  • Game Over Israel campaign
  • United Nations
  • Scottish Parliament
  • Hind Rajab Foundation
  • The Gaza Tribunal
  • Health Workers 4 Palestine
  • Tech for Palestine
  • Telegraph UK