All Activists Agree: Jibril Rajoub must go.

These are days of miracles and wonder.  Israel advocacy group StandWithUs has a petition online at change.org, Petitioning Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)  to "Kick Extremism Out of Football: Show Jibril Rajoub the Red Card".

Be sure to sign it at Change.org.


Sports are a unique way to bring diverse peoples together through shared passion. International sporting events like the World Cup are wonderful examples of this. Unfortunately, the Palestinian Authority has used sports to indoctrinate children with hatred for the state of Israel, instead of allowing football, and other sports, to peacefully bring together Israelis and Palestinians of all ages. Some examples are:

- The Hilal Al-Quds club held a tournament for 12-year-olds named after Dalal Mugrahbi, the leader of a terror. The “Dalal Mugrahbi Championship."

- The Al-Amari youth center announced a soccer tournament named the “Martyr of Honor Wafa Idris Tournament.” Idris was the first Palestinian female suicide bomber.

- Eighteen teams from the Tulkarm District took part in a “Martyrs and Prisoners Soccer Tournament” at the Irtah High School. “All of the teams were named after Martyrs [terrorists],” the PA official newspaper, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, reported proudly. The top prize was the “Martyr Abu Jihad Trophy.”

- In the town of Fara’a, there is a soccer field named after Salah Khalaf, aka Abu Iyad, leader of the “Black September” gang that kidnapped and murdered 11 Israeli Olympic team members, including an American-born weightlifter, at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

One of the most egregious examples of this disturbing trend is the head of the Palestinian Football Association, head of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, and former convicted terrorist Jibril Rajoub, who has been on a personal mission to suspend Israel from FIFA.

Rajoub was convicted of terrorist activities against Israeli in 1970, was released in a prisoner exchange, and rearrested for continued terrorist activity in 1985. He spent two years in prison. Following his release, he continued his path of terrorism and was deported for his activities. After the Oslo Accords, he was appointed to a position of leadership by Yasser Arafat and has "served" in the Palestinian Leadership ever since.

Rajoub has repeatedly condoned acts of terrorism and encouraged violence against Israelis. He has overseen children's football matches in the Palestinian communities that were named after murderers of Israeli civilians, he has been an outspoken advocate against any normalization or coexistence with Israelis and his statements are a direct violation of everything that both FIFA and the Olympic Games stand for. In response to a friendly match between Israeli and Palestinian children, Rajoub stated, "Any activity of normalization in sports with the Zionist enemy is a crime against humanity."

Rajoub stated about the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that “[I]f we had nuclear weapons, we’d be using them." In summer 2014, while he was serving as the head of the Palestinian Football Association, Rajoub stated, “Fatah has decided that our relations with the Israelis are relations between enemies...am I stopping you from slaughtering a settlement? No one is stopping anyone."

Rajoub is a member of the Palestinian organization Fatah who is the parent organization of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade - the terrorist organization responsible for the horrific 1972 murder of the Israeli Olympic team at the Munich games. In 2012, he opposed holding a minute of silence at the London Olympic Games for the 1972 slain Israeli Olympic team stating to remember them would be "racist."

It is appalling that such an individual is a part of anything related to FIFA or the Olympic Games.

We call for Jibril Rajoub's immediate suspension from FIFA and all activities related to the International Olympic Committee immediately.

Sports should bring people together, not encourage racism, bigotry, and violence. Kick extremism out of football: show Jibril Rajoub the red card!

 Sources: 

http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=12585

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/terrorist-chief-of-palestinian-olympics-committee-calls-minute-of-silence-requests-racism/2012/07/26/

http://news.yahoo.com/moderate-palestinian-leader-swears-had-nuke-d-used-120410701.html

http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=91&doc_id=14441

Meanwhile, at Avaaz.org, there's a petition, in Arabic,  requesting the same thing, but for very different reasons.   Palestinians are furious that Jibril Rajoub withdrew the proposal for the expulsion of Israel from FIFA, and are demanding his removal as head of the Palestinian Football Association.

How often do Palestinians activists agree with StandWithUs?  Whatever your motivation, the answer is clear. Jibril Rajoub must go.

Palestinians are furious with Jibril Rajoub

“Football should Unite and not divide”

“Football should Unite and not divide”

Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA has met with both Palestinian and Israeli authorities this week in an effort to stop the politicizing of football in the region. Palestinians are attempting to get Israel suspended from the association, and want the matter put to a vote at the upcoming FIFA Congress

Blatter met with the Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and President of the Palestinian Football Association  Jibril Al Rajoub and with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the President of the Israel Football Association  Ofer Eini.

“I had constructive meetings with the Palestine political and football authorities," said FIFA President Blatter. "We all agree football should unite not divide. I came on a mission for peace – football should foster peace and leave politics aside. Based on my talks over the last two days, I remain confident, despite the challenging situation, that we should be able to find a solution in the interests of football and all parties involved ahead of the Congress."

Blatter  has spoken out against suspending the Israeli Football Association, saying such a move would set a "dangerous precedent".

"This is not football. That's why I'm on a peace mission."  He has proposed a “peace match” between Palestinian and Israeli teams. Netanyahu welcomed the idea but it was rejected by Rajoub

In the meanwhile, migrant workers in Qatar, building a stadium for FIFA's 2022  World Cup are dying at the rate of 1 every 2 days and the world remains silent.

Jibril Rajoub. Not a good sport

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is the international governing body of football/ FIFA.  Founded in 1904, it has 209 member associations

From their mission statement

FIFA’s primary objective is "to improve the game of football constantly and promote it globally in the light of its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values...”

Football can inspire communities and break down barriers. Football is for all. FIFA believes that everybody has the right to play football free from discrimination or prejudice and we are striving to ensure that this is the case.

Jibril Rajoub, the head of the Palestinian Football Association is unclear on the concept of building coexistence through sport . He has stepped up his lobbying of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association  in an effort to get Israeli players banned from the beautiful game.. 

Jibril Rajoub isn't a  very good sport. Listen to him urge his followers to slaughter Israelis in this clip from Palestinian Media Waatch.


Deputy Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee Jibril Rajoub: “I’m telling everyone: Fatah has decided that our relations with the Israelis are relations between enemies. There is no kind of coordination between the Israelis and us. Everyone can be certain that any form of mutual coordination ended a day after they declared war on the National Unity Government... OK, brother, here is the occupation, am I stopping you from slaughtering a settlement?  No one is stopping anyone. Don’t lie and tell me: ‘the [PA] Security Forces and Mahmoud Abbas,’ and so on [stop you]. Drop it, OK? No one is stopping anyone. Our political decision is resistance in the occupied territories in order to bring an end to the occupation [using] all forms of resistance.”

UPDATE

 FIFA President Sepp Blatter says he will attempt to persuade the Palestinian Football Association to withdraw a bid to get Israel suspended from world football's governing body.

"I will try to convince him that such a situation should not occur at FIFA," Blatter told reporters after attending Tuesday's Confederation of African Football (CAF) Congress.

"A suspension of any member affects badly the whole organisation," he added.

Dave Zirin's Blood Libel at the Nation exposed

Dave Zirin's story at the Nation didn't ring true. It didn't check out on any level. And now we know why. An expose printed this evening on  the Elder of Ziyon blog has shown the tremendous strength of citizen journalists and their role in keeping the mainstream media accountable.  We should all be deeply indebted to both the formidable Elder and his friend Bob Knot for their role in exposing Dave Zirin's lies.

Must read at the Elder of Ziyon.  The lies about the "Palestinian footballers" 

Bob Knot in the comments has a tour de force of investigative journalism that destroys the recent libel claiming that Israeli troops fired on the feet of "Palestinian football players" and exposes the people using that incident to disqualify Israel from FIFA as liars...
 
The Nation, Mondoweiss, and others based their libel and calls for FIFA to kick out Israel on the latest Ma’an article because racism and violence have no place in football. Thumbs up for that, Israelis believe the same; let’s find out more about these two young, innocent, “footballers”, their club, and what does their “training” entail?

Right now. Go to the Elder of Ziyon's website. 
Read the expose that blows Dave Zirin's column out of the water. Remember: Dave Zirin is a "journalist". He gets paid for his sloppy writing and his even sloppier research.
Then click on the donation button in the top right column.of the Elder's website. 

This is precisely why people blog.  Social media allows us to bypass the gatekeepers of the mainstream media.  Bloggers help get the truth out.

Help the Elder go from strength to strength.

Next. Write. Tweet. Fax the Nation. Demand a retraction.  Don't stop until you get one.
Write. Tweet. Fax the FIFA. Link to the truth. Expose the lies.

Good Sports. Palestinian style.

 Looks like sports will be the next arena for boycott.

There's a petition (yawn) on change.org. There is always a petition on change.org.  Anti-Israel activists are asking that membership of the Israeli Football Association (IFA)in the FIFA  be suspended. And there is a new website devoted to the evil spoil sport Israelis and the poor oppressed Palestinians who just want to have fun.

Check it out:   Israeli Occupation Transgressions against Palestinian Sports
In it we learn that "Palestinian Sports lost the following athletes during the Israeli Bombardment of Gaza"

This is the photo they choose to show you of Ayman Al-Kurd: National Team player.

And here's the martyrdom announcement  of Ayman Ahmed Al-Kurd
His blessed efforts for the path of jihad are emphasized and not his good sportmanship

Here's the photo they show you of Wajeeh Mushtaha: Al-Shijayah Union Club player

Even  B' Tselem admits that the 24 year-old resident of Gaza city was killed as he participated in hostilities as a member of the military wing of the Islamic Jihad. 

And check out Emad Al-Najjar, Billiards Federation/player (Yes, apparently billiards is a "sport" in Gaza)

 

 And now check out Emad's martyrdom announcement

Emad's mom is Fatima Al-Najar  is mentioned in his obituary, so you just know she's someone special.

And yes, she is. She is reported to have been the oldest Palestinian suicide bomber to date, wounding 4 Israeli soldiers in a November 2006 attack.   

Equally fascinating are photos of the Gaza sports facilities damaged in Cast Lead.  (Does "just like the Warsaw ghetto" come to mind?)

These, of course, are the "before " photos.  After their use as launching pads for missiles targeting Israeli civilians, they looked quite different.

This silly little website declares: 

Football, as one of the world’s foremost sports, is all about bringing people together, promoting ethics, and building bridges of friendship between nations, based upon the values of peace and fair competition

The actions of the  athletes on this website had nothing to do with peace, or with building bridges or promoting ethics. These men were simply jihadists and thugs, who died participating in hostile actions against Israel.