Palestinian FA head banned after call to burn Messi shirts

 

FILE PHOTO: Palestinian Football Association (PFA) President Jibril Rajoub speaks at the 67th FIFA Congress in Manama, Bahrain May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

 

ZURICH (Reuters) - The head of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, was banned from all soccer-related activity for a year by FIFA on Friday on charges of inciting hatred and violence before a friendly planned between Israel and Argentina.

 

Rajoub protested after Israel switched the venue of the June game from Haifa to Jerusalem. He urged Palestinians to burn shirts bearing the name of Lionel Messi if Argentina's star went ahead and played there.

 

The change of venue came at a particularly sensitive time, after U.S. President Donald Trump had recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, infuriating Palestinians who want the eastern part of the city as the capital of their own future state.

 

Global soccer body FIFA said on Friday its disciplinary committee considered Rajoub's statements "incited hatred and violence". It banned him for 12 months and fined him 20,000 Swiss francs (£15,682.6).

 

Rajoub, it said, was banned from "taking part in any future match or competition taking place during the given period". That included attending matches in any official capacity and participating in media activities at or near stadiums on match days, it added.

 

Rajoub and the Palestinian Football Association did not immediately respond to the announcement. Israel's association declined to comment.

 

Argentina decided to pull out of the friendly, which would have been their last appearance before the World Cup, as political pressure mounted over the game.

 

Rajoub has long tried to get soccer's world governing body, FIFA, and the International Olympic Committee to impose sanctions against Israel. This is mainly because of the Israeli government's settlements policy in the West Bank and because it has imposed travel restrictions on Palestinian athletes citing security concerns. Those bodies have not heeded his calls.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-08-25

53 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

on charges of inciting hatred and violence before a friendly planned between Israel and Argentina.

 

Trust the palestinians to act like a bull in a china shop, burn bully and destroy, never build, create flourish or coexist with others...

54 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Trust the palestinians to act like a bull in a china shop, burn bully and destroy, never build, create flourish or coexist with others...

Trust Israel to try and extract maximum political benefit out of the match by transferring it to Jerusalem. Stupid move.

16 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Trust Israel to try and extract maximum political benefit out of the match by transferring it to Jerusalem. Stupid move.

Yeah.. if the shoe fit, the palestinians understand only one language, and this the language Israel is using... dose it works all the times? no, but there isn't another language for now...

3 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Yeah.. if the shoe fit, the palestinians understand only one language, and this the language Israel is using... dose it works all the times? no, but there isn't another language for now...

How exactly is it the responsibility of the Palestinians that the Israelis decided to transfer a game between its national team and Argentina's to Jerusalem? 

Obsessed much?

Jibril Rajoub. Charming guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jibril_Rajoub

 

8 hours ago, bristolboy said:

Trust Israel to try and extract maximum political benefit out of the match by transferring it to Jerusalem. Stupid move.

 

Changing the venue was daft, and was criticized even by coalition members. But the attempts to "extract maximum political benefit" was essentially more of a self-promoting ploys which backfired. This involved Netanyahu, and somewhat more blatantly, Regev (the relevant minister).

 

There was quite a lot of coverage of details on local media, here's one summary:

 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/who-moved-the-argentina-soccer-game-to-jerusalem-pm-regev-blame-each-other/

 

 

10 hours ago, ezzra said:

Trust the palestinians to act like a bull in a china shop, burn bully and destroy, never build, create flourish or coexist with others...

I think you are mistaking the Palestinians with the Israelis. A common mistake to make as they are genetically identical. The ultimate irony.

9 hours ago, bristolboy said:

Trust Israel to try and extract maximum political benefit out of the match by transferring it to Jerusalem. Stupid move.

Israel has the right to play games where ever it wants to .

Jerusalem is Israels Capital city and you would expect them to play their home international games in that city

5 hours ago, Elfin said:

That's because most jews won't allow the Palestians to do this.

You are getting Israelis mixed up with Jews .

(I know many Israelis are Jews , but many Jews arent Israelis)

45 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Israel has the right to play games where ever it wants to .

Jerusalem is Israels Capital city and you would expect them to play their home international games in that city

 

Football matches normally require two sides. As most countries do not recognize Israel's claim, and this being a national team level game, it was bound to cause issues. Unless mistaken, most such games are regularly hosted in other venues, not Jerusalem.

Edited August 25, 20187 yr by Morch

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