Ms. Rachel & Swiss MPs, almost everyone but the PFA played a part in saving Aida's pitch
Bethlehem area children will continue to practice the beautiful game as Israel backs down from demolition order that was slated for January 12th
Aida Youth Center’s campaign to stop the demolition of a pitch in Bethlehem succeeded this week after a tireless two month campaign. The field in question is one of the few football pitches accessible to children in the Bethlehem area. On November 23rd, 2025 the club was hit with a demolition order from COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activity in the Territories) the Israeli military body that rules over Palestinian civilian life in the West Bank.
This was despite the fact that the field had been in operation since 2021 and was built on land owned by the Armenian Church who had given Aida Youth Center explicit permission to build on it.
In spite of no legal quabbles with the land’s owner the Israeli military decided that Aida Youth Center had six weeks to demolish the football pitch. Failure to do so would result in the IDF doing the work for them and handing them a bill for their troubles.
In response, the club launched a massive social media campaign and attracted many celebrities to its cause over recent weeks.
Ms. Rachel- the American Kids YouTuber- spoke about the importance of saving the pitch on more than one occasion. Several League of Ireland Clubs, CD Palestino, and even French football legend Eric Cantona lent their voice to the campaign.
On Christmas Day, Palestine national team coach Ehab Abu Jazar visited the pitch to lend his support. Other than that visit, the Palestine Football Association’s sum total contribution has been two Instagram posts. One of which was posted on the day the order was delayed for a week (January 12th).
FIFA & UEFA Lobbying
While activists helped raise awareness they were left with little recourse to influence the decision makers. The campaign did catch the attention of several Swiss lawmakers who had already been monitoring UEFA’s actions ahead of a vote later this month to strip UEFA of its tax-exempt status in the country for their failure to “promote peace” and violation of international law.
Those MPs took the issue to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The former got in touch with the Israel Football Association and a line of communication was formed to help get a stay of execution.
In response, the Aida Youth Center said in a statement that it welcomed the decision but that “the situation remains uncertain and that the threat to the pitch remains alive” as it has yet to receive official confirmation from Israeli officials that the order has been cancelled and withdrawn.
“This is a huge step forward. But let’s be clear: our fight is NOT over,”
Their skepticism is well founded with one IFA source confirming that “a solution to the legal dispute will need to be addressed.”
Rajoub: Missing in Action
Palestine Football Association President Jibril Rajoub has had a busy month. In December, he was hobnobbing in Qatar and basking in the glow of the success of the national team. In spite of a busy schedule, he found time to wish Qatar a happy Independence Day, send a Christmas message a week later, and celebrate the 61st anniversary of the Fatah movement on New Year’s Day.
Upon his return to Palestine, he got himself into hot water with the Saudi and Egyptian FAs when he criticized referee’s Amin Omar’s performance and insulted him in a public symposium. The former head of the Preventive Security Services then jetted off to Cairo around the time the Israeli military was meant to destroy Aida’s pitch.
If this latest episode of disinterest has taught us anything it is that Palestinian footballers are better assisted by external parties than their own FA. Consider that the PFA did not start amplifying Aida’s message until it attracted international attention. Even when the campaign passed the threshold of public consciousness the PFA did not use that to lobby FIFA. Instead ,it was left up to a random collection of Swiss MPs to work the phones and get Ceferin and Infantino to take action.
While the behavior is upsetting it is par for the course. The PFA under Jibril Rajoub been unable or unwilling to put in the work to improve and protect Palestinian football. Against all the odds, Palestinian football has succeeded- providing Rajoub with plaudits and media attention he did nothing to earn. The 72 year old has been President of the Palestine Football Association since 2008. He has won all four of his terms by acclimation and signs point to him running unopposed again in 2028.