FOOTBALL federations across Europe are being urged to boycott Israel amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The Game Over Israel campaign, which will officially launch on Wednesday, calls on nine European football federations to boycott the Israeli national team, Israeli club teams, as well as banning Israeli players from participating in domestic competitions.
The campaign specifically targets football federations in Scotland, England, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Greece and Norway – with protests set to take place across Europe on Wednesday.
It comes as a United Nations inquiry found on Tuesday that Israel has committed genocide in Palestine.
Campaign organisers argued that European federations have the ability to make the decision to boycott Israel without needing to rely on Uefa, the European football body – pointing towards individual federations who previously decided to boycott Russia in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
The Scottish FA was targeted in particular following the Scottish Parliament's recent vote to boycott Israel, with campaigners urging the football body to take similar action.
The Game Over Israel campaign has been backed by several prominent individuals, including former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, Irish performer and activist Tadhg Hickey – who is currently taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla – journalist Matt Kennard and British punk performer Bobby Vylan.
Among those advising the campaign are Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah (below), a British-Palestinian plastic surgeon and rector of Glasgow University, along with Abed Ayoub, director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, and Craig Mokhiber, former UN human rights official.
The campaign also has the support of organisations including the Hind Rajab Foundation, The Gaza Tribunal, Health Workers 4 Palestine and Tech for Palestine.
Commenting, Ashish Prashar, Game Over Israel campaign manager and a former advisor to the Middle East Peace Envoy, said: “Our position is clear; Israel has no place in football. International human rights defenders and civil society will not abandon the legitimate demand for football federations to step into the gap left by their governing bodies and boycott Israel.
“It’s our collective responsibility to work together – fans, unions, the public – and flood our federations demanding they act now to boycott Israel and send a message that those committing genocide are not welcome on the pitch.”
Former UN human rights official Mokhiber added: “We are living through a dark moment in history in which a people, locked in the chains of apartheid, are being exterminated before our eyes. None of us will be able to say we did not know. Inaction in such circumstances is complicity. But we do have the power to act.
“Sport is a powerful social force. And football, ‘the beautiful game,’ can be a powerful channel for action. Demand that your football federation, and all federations, boycott Israel. Keep football beautiful.”
Richard Falk, president of the Gaza Tribunal, and former UN special rapporteur, commented: “Israel has for many years used culture and sports to whitewash their violations of international law and human rights, and sporting governing bodies have been shamefully complicit during this genocide.
“It’s perfectly legitimate and morally imperative to demand that football federations across Europe and the world boycott Israel. Normalcy is complicity in this abnormal time of prolonged genocide.”
The National understands a protest is set to take place in Scotland, with details to be confirmed in due course.
The Scottish FA declined to comment.
