Orlando Pirates say they will go ahead with their fixture against Maccabi Tel Aviv in Spain this week despite calls to boycott the friendly match.
The team is currently in Spain for a pre-season camp from July 9-21, playing against Tel Aviv on Thursday, Independiente del Valle from Ecuador on Saturday and UD Las Palmas on July 19.
The South African Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (SABDS) Coalition called on the South African team to boycott the match, saying there was “nothing friendly about playing a team representing apartheid Israel”, due to the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
In a statement, the SABDS Coalition said: “The Israel Football Association (IFA) works with the Israeli government to maintain soccer teams in these illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land. Increasing numbers of violent pogroms are being waged by inhabitants of these illegal settlements against Palestinians, supported by the Israeli state ... “While the IFA and Israeli government support soccer in illegal settlements, Palestinians have to endure Israeli soldiers regularly raiding Palestinian football matches, even children’s matches, firing tear gas, sound bombs and rubber-coated steel bullets onto the pitch. It is therefore no surprise that football replicates the institutionalised racism promoted by the Israeli government.
Tel Aviv Maccabi fans, for example, are known for racist anti-Palestinian slurs and graffiti, and anti-refugee banners.
“Just as we mobilised the world for a sports boycott of apartheid South Africa, we must now refuse to play with Israeli apartheid. We call on the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture to implement policy for a cultural and sporting boycott.”
Orlando Pirates said it did not “enjoy” the latitude of “taking sides and adopting causes”.
“As a club that has its roots in a conflict-ridden South Africa and has been an active participant in the dismantling of apartheid, Orlando Pirates is naturally conscious of the plight of the Palestinian people. Of the many forces that seek a long overdue solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, Orlando Pirates stand with those that believe a path exists for men and women of courage to continue coming together to find a lasting solution that South Africa proved to the world can be found.”
Orlando Pirates said the club’s core functioning was “governed by rules”.
“It is to the rules that Orlando Pirates went when confronted with calls to withdraw from playing Maccabi Tel Aviv. There is no cultural boycott or boycott of any form by either the South African government, Fifa or the host country that Orlando Pirates can base its refusal to play against Maccabi Tel Aviv on. Heeding a call from any other body would create a conflict within Orlando Pirates that would undermine the club’s values and history irreparably,” the club said.
In response, SABDS Coalition representative Ronnie Kasrils said the club’s statement outlined how they stood against segregated sport in apartheid South Africa, defying rules imposed by the racist regime, yet they were now hiding behind “rules” to justify going ahead with their “friendly” against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
“They should live up to their Struggle history and once again defy rules that serve to ‘sportswash’ apartheid.”
The South African Friends of Israel (Safi) supported the fixture, saying that “boycotting sports and alienating players won’t produce the goal of peace in the Middle East”.
“Soccer can play a unifying and meaningful role in bridging the disconnect created by the inflammatory tactics of the BDS, which only seeks to sow hate and division. This dishonest attempt to dehumanise Israelis and bully South Africans must be rejected and condemned,” said Safi.
Enquiries to the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture were not answered by deadline on Monday.
Cape Times