Fairplay for Palestine - Vigil at Israeli Embassy

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Saturday March 26, 2005 16:24 by redjade

{ photos by redjade } ©

PRESS RELEASE
On Saturday March 26th 12 noon-2pm, members of the
Dublin Catholc Worker Community and the Irish
Palestinian Solidarity Committee will be holding a
protest vigil at the Israeli Embassy, Pembroke Rd,
Dublin

[....]

We call upon the Israeli F.A. and Isarael civic
society to demand of the Israeli government to respect
the rights of the Palestinian football team and
Palestian people. If such pro-active advocacy is not
forthcoming from the Israeli F.A., we call upon Fifa
to examine whether Israell should be disaqualified
from the World Cup competition for hampering a
legitmate competitor from legitimate preparations for
games and the ability to field their strongest side.
The Irish F.A., players, fans and government should
also examine these issues before the return leg in
Dublin and be forthcoming with a reponse that demands
full human rights for the Palestinian team competing
in the World Cup".

MORE INFO:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69102

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For Occupied Palestine Just Turning Up Is A Struggle
From the Guardian

When Palestine's squad gathered at their Egyptian training base in early August to prepare for tonight's World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan, only 11 players turned up; a week later injury had reduced their number to six. "And we have five coaches," their Austrian manager Alfred Riedl lamented.

[....]

For two weeks they were greeted with day-long detention and eventual denial. Finally five of the squad were allowed to cross after endless shuttle diplomacy between the Palestinian Football Association, Fifa and the Israeli authorities.

[....]

Yet considering the unity of purpose, the team itself is a strange fusion of disparate groups that reflect the range of the Palestinian diaspora - and the team's desperate recruitment measures. Half the team is from Chile, the largest Palestinian community outside the Arab world, and the blend is not always easy. Cliques form naturally along linguistic lines and communication remains a problem, not least with an Austrian coach and his Hungarian assistant, Tamas Viczko.

from the Guardian
rePublished at
http://www.palestinecampaign.org/archives.asp?xid=1358