March 10th, 2024: This Week in Palestinian Football

With Palestine's return to action less than two weeks' away we take a look at the tactical evolution of Makram Daboub's side

Before we start this week’s newsletter I have to reiterate the importance of lending support- material or otherwise- to those suffering in Gaza. If you came across a GoFundMe page consider donating to it or to a multitude of organizations that are trying to feed the hungry and heal the sick during this ongoing genocide.

If you are looking for a a way to support consider helping Mohammed Balah and his family. The striker is too proud to ask for help and has spent most of the war taking care of others who are in worse circumstances. You can donate, here.

Will Israel get the Russia treatment?

Football Palestine since its inception has made it a point not to cover Israeli Football. The success or failure of the sporting istitutions that represent Palestine’s occupying power is not something we seek to give attention too. There are more pressing issues in Palestinian Football to cover but every so often there are stories that are too big to ignore.

A decade ago, Jibril Rajoub campaigned to get Israel kicked out of FIFA only for him to back out at the final moment. He gave a bizzarre speech waving around a red card like a madman and then shook hands with IFA President Ofer Eini.

This was the start of Rajoub’s obssession with using FIFA to further his political bonfaides. Needless to say, things did not go well for him after that. Who knows what would have happened had the motion to suspend Israel remained on the FIFA Council’s agenda back in 2015.

Back then Israeli transgressions against Palestinian athletes were a regular occurence but took place in the shadows. Once Rajoub showed his hand, FIFA- under new leadership- was able to manipulate him expertly.

When it was discovered that six Israeli clubs based in the West Bank were playing in the Israeli football pyramid FIFA did not rule to ban those clubs from competition or sanction Israel. The Palestine Football Association had hope was that the 2014 decision to exclude Crimean clubs from the Russia Footballing Pyramid would be applied.

The folks at the PFA overlooked one critical factor about that precedent. It was UEFA that issed the ruling, not FIFA. As an AFC member Palestine could not appeal to the European body but it could have asked a member of UEFA to bring the issue forth. That did not happen- FIFA sent the brilliantly named Tokyo Sexwale to investigate, ruled it could not do anything and then swatted away multiple appeals by the PFA at the Court for Arbitration in Sport (CAS) and had Rajoub cover their legal bills.

In 2018, FIFA then taught Rajoub a lesson by suspending him for a year for incitment of violence against Lionel Messi of all people.

Safe to say, Rajoub has been pretty quiet since then. In fact, the renewed call to suspend Israel came from Jordan FA President Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein. That call was picked up by various Members of European Parliament.

Basketball and Football teams representing the Republic of Ireland have since refused to stand for the Israeli anthem or shake hands with their opponents.

The governing body of hockey- the IIHF also ruled to ban Israel on security grounds- mimicking language used to ban Russia and Belarus two years ago in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine. That decision was temporarily reversed and it now seems the IIHF is deciding whether or not Israel can participate on a case-by-case basis.

Do not hold your breath on UEFA or FIFA coming to their senses. It would not even be fair to shout hypocrisy. Neither governing body was especially keen to ban Russia in the aftermath of the Ukraine invasion. FIFA President Gianni Infantino suggested an arrangement where Russia would compete under a neutral flag. The catalyst for a ban was when Robert Lewandowski, Tomas Soucek, and Victor Lindelöf- the captains of Poland, Czech Republic, and Sweden refused to take the field against Russia in the World Cup playoffs.

Perhaps Iceland will do the same ten days from now but even their coach Age Haride acknowledged the cost Icelandic football would pay would be severe:

“I would hesitate to play Israel, as it stands now. Because of what is going on in Gaza, and because of what they have done to women, children and other innocent citizens. It shouldn’t be done, and we shouldn’t be playing this game if you ask me.”

“It’s very, very difficult, and it’s difficult for me to have to stop thinking about these images that we see every day,” he added.

“If we don’t play we will be banned and risk further punishment by not playing another member nation,” he said. 

The other two nations fighting for a place at Euro 2024 in Playoff Path B are Bosnia & Herzegovina and Ukraine.

Is Makram Daboub’s 4-4-2 a good use of Palestine’s talent?