Thousands of English citizens have signed a petition calling for the cancellation of the soccer match between Israel and England scheduled for 24th March 2007, and to expel Israel from the European Championship Games under the slogan: “Kicking racist Israel out of the fields”. Heading the campaign are dozens of English left-wing organizations which are convinced that “a sports boycott is the most efficient weapon against racist countries”. These forces present the sports boycott against South Africa and credit it with having brought down apartheid.”
The organizers have called on supporters to send e-mail to the heads of the Football Federation under the slogan: “Kicking racist Israel out of the field”, a kind of answer to the official campaign by both the English and Israeli Football Federations: “Kicking racism and violence out of the fields”.
These calls for boycotting Israeli sports were heard in the British Isles in July 2006 when a large demonstration was held outside the stadium where the Davis Cup tennis matches between Israel and England were being held. The demonstrators called for the boycott of Israel “for its acts of slaughter and its racist policy against the Palestinians”, and protested against the contract signed between the Arsenal Team and the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. A few days later, a cricket match between the Israeli and Scottish Select Teams was canceled because of a similar demonstration that was to have been held there.
Source:
http://news.msn.co.il/
http://news.msn.co.il/
Date: 5th March 2007
