RIYADH: On Jan. 20, an intervention by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin prevented Israeli forces from taking over the Aida refugee camp football pitch outside Bethlehem, but now Tel Aviv is targeting another arena.
Less than a month later, Israel is threatening to demolish the Umm Al-Khair Stadium in Masafer Yatta, in the West Bank.
“UEFA saved one pitch in the West Bank. Israel is demolishing another,” read the cover of Game Over Israel’s latest Instagram post.
The latest move illustrates why this situation is not simply about saving one or two stadiums, but one which critics of Israel argue is designed to encourage settler expansion and make life increasingly difficult for Palestinians.
The Umm Al-Khair stadium in Masafer Yatta serves as a recreational space for children in the village who want nothing more than a safe space to play and take part in sporting activities.
It appears, however, that the well-being of these children comes second to settlement expansion demands. The pro-settler Regavim organization has reportedly claimed that the facility obstructs settlement expansion in the area.
“We received this stop-work order from the Israeli Civil Administration against the playground of Umm Al-Khair,” a resident said in a video distributed by journalist Leyla Hamed.
“If we don’t reply to our lawyers, this playground will be dismantled and demolished by the Israeli army.”
On one level, it may feel like a victory for Ceferin and UEFA to have helped save one pitch. But can it truly be considered progress if every time one stadium is saved another faces demolition?
Ashish Prashar, a former advisor to the Middle East peace envoy and leader of the #GameOverIsrael campaign, said: “You have to know who Israel is ... and Ceferin clearly doesn’t.
“Celebrating and receiving awards for playing a role in the saving of one pitch isn’t the work of justice.
“And it doesn’t protect the lives of Palestinian kids, nor fulfill his obligation as president of UEFA to promote peace, a legal assertion that gives the organization a very advantageous tax status in Switzerland.
“The only solution here is to be a serious person and suspend Israel.”
The so-called war may be over on paper, but until the wider system is addressed, the future of Palestinian football — and the peace surrounding it — remains under serious threat.
