In a little over a week’s time, the 209 footballing nations of the world that make up Fifa — the International Federation of Football Associations — will vote on whether to suspend Israel from the game for its treatment and suppression of Palestinian footballers. If Israel were to be suspended, its teams and clubs would no longer be allowed to play in international competitions such as the Champions League, Euro 2016 and World Cup qualifying games.
More importantly, the vote would isolate Israel and punish it at a very real and tangible level that the billions of football fans around the world would be able to see — and make a clear statement that Israel has been sanctioned for its actions.
Yes, there will be those who argue that politics and sport should not mix — but in the case of Israel, a nation that has jailed Palestinians without cause or due process, annexed land and built colonies on land stolen and illegally occupied for decades, the principles of fair play and sportsmanship are but empty rhetoric.
Let us not forget that during the dark years of apartheid in South Africa, the international shunning of that then-pariah state hit hard, isolating it from the rest of the world in rugby, cricket and football. There is little difference with Israel today — it makes Palestinians ride on separate buses, keeps them in ghettoes and deprives them of equality. There is no level-playing field — and Fifa members should remember that when they vote.
