Israel Soccer Association Calls for Peace and Unity After Roger Waters Urges Ban of Jewish State’s Teams
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Israel’s official soccer association asked former Pink Floyd musician Roger Waters to help build peace and unity rather than division after the singer called for a boycott of Israel’s soccer teams.
“Dear @rogerwaters Instead of adding just another brick in the wall of hatred and boycotts, join us in turning football into a bridge for peace and unity #peace @FIFAcom.” The Israel Football Association tweeted on Sunday.
The conversation stemmed from a video on Twitter by Israel’s Ambassador to the US and United Nations Gilad Erdan, in which he talked about how Israel strongly opposes renewing funding for UNRWA and the agency’s “anti-Israel and antisemitic” activities. Rogers, a supporter of the BDS movement, replied to the clip on Sunday by calling on the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to “Ban ISRAELI teams from international competition. SAY NO TO RACISM In SOCCER.”
Waters said the same in a Facebook post on Saturday while promoting his benefit concert “Live for Gaza.” He wrote, “I’m going to take this opportunity to reach out to ask EPL players to join me in an international campaign to persuade FIFA and UEFA to ban Israel’s national soccer team and Israeli football clubs from international competition until Israel stops its racist apartheid policies.
“You take a knee every Saturday? Well? You have a big voice, please join the choir in favor of human rights. The FIFA UEFA BAN ISRAELI TEAMS.”
Waters called for the same boycott against Israeli soccer teams in March during a virtual event.
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