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| Desmond Tutu and the call for a Uefa boycott of Israel | Desmond Tutu and the call for a Uefa boycott of Israel |
| (4 months later) | |
| Having read Archbishop Desmond Tutu et al's plea for boycotting Israel (Letters, 28 May), I found myself shifting uncomfortably in my seat. Isn't Tutu the person who, a few years ago, encouraged an idea to bring an international football tournament to South Africa, and is now calling for a boycott of the idea to bring an international football tournament to Israel? Does football discriminate between nations, being a sport that "might work towards binding people together" in South Africa but not in Israel? Isn't Tutu also the person who, 36 years ago, fought ferociously against a racist regime persecuting blacks in South Africa, the same one who, just over 20 years ago, preached for forgiveness for a racist regime which persecuted Jews in Nazi Germany? | Having read Archbishop Desmond Tutu et al's plea for boycotting Israel (Letters, 28 May), I found myself shifting uncomfortably in my seat. Isn't Tutu the person who, a few years ago, encouraged an idea to bring an international football tournament to South Africa, and is now calling for a boycott of the idea to bring an international football tournament to Israel? Does football discriminate between nations, being a sport that "might work towards binding people together" in South Africa but not in Israel? Isn't Tutu also the person who, 36 years ago, fought ferociously against a racist regime persecuting blacks in South Africa, the same one who, just over 20 years ago, preached for forgiveness for a racist regime which persecuted Jews in Nazi Germany? |
| The best answer to Tutu's divisiveness can be found on the field, in the Israeli under-21 national team – half of the team are Israeli Arabs and the other half Israeli Jews: young people bringing real hope to the region. Amir Ofek Press attache, Israeli embassy, London | The best answer to Tutu's divisiveness can be found on the field, in the Israeli under-21 national team – half of the team are Israeli Arabs and the other half Israeli Jews: young people bringing real hope to the region. Amir Ofek Press attache, Israeli embassy, London |
| • The letter writers' call for Uefa to join an anti-Israel academic and cultural boycott, far from fighting racism, would exemplify it. Tellingly, the letter writers hail the recent example of Stephen Hawking announcing his refusal to attend a conference hosted by long-time peace advocate Shimon Peres in Israel. Of course, if Mr Hawking refuses to travel to Israel or meet with leading theoretical astrophysicists like Avi Loeb and Jacob Bekenstein solely because they are Israelis, it may impede the progress of science, but it will not promote peace. Moreover, if there is any national entity whose sports teams should be subjected to a boycott, it is the Palestinians. They have never apologised for their massacre of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 summer Olympics, and last year, the Palestinian Authority coldly opposed even a proposed moment of silence during the opening ceremonies in London in memory of the Israeli victims of Palestinian terror. | • The letter writers' call for Uefa to join an anti-Israel academic and cultural boycott, far from fighting racism, would exemplify it. Tellingly, the letter writers hail the recent example of Stephen Hawking announcing his refusal to attend a conference hosted by long-time peace advocate Shimon Peres in Israel. Of course, if Mr Hawking refuses to travel to Israel or meet with leading theoretical astrophysicists like Avi Loeb and Jacob Bekenstein solely because they are Israelis, it may impede the progress of science, but it will not promote peace. Moreover, if there is any national entity whose sports teams should be subjected to a boycott, it is the Palestinians. They have never apologised for their massacre of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 summer Olympics, and last year, the Palestinian Authority coldly opposed even a proposed moment of silence during the opening ceremonies in London in memory of the Israeli victims of Palestinian terror. |
| Moreover, just this May, Palestinian Olympic committee president Jibril Rajoub declared: "I swear that if we had a nuke, we'd have used it this very morning", which in my view was a threat against Israel. Surely Palestinian terrorism and apparent threats of nuclear genocide by Palestinian Authority officials deserve at least as strong a condemnation as Jews building homes in their ancestral homeland. Stephen A Silver San Francisco, California, USA | Moreover, just this May, Palestinian Olympic committee president Jibril Rajoub declared: "I swear that if we had a nuke, we'd have used it this very morning", which in my view was a threat against Israel. Surely Palestinian terrorism and apparent threats of nuclear genocide by Palestinian Authority officials deserve at least as strong a condemnation as Jews building homes in their ancestral homeland. Stephen A Silver San Francisco, California, USA |
| • Firstly, the reason Israel plays in European football tournaments is that, long before the 1967 war and the subsequent "occupation", Arab and some Asian countries refused to play Israel at any level. Secondly, if countries were stopped from hosting tournaments because of their human rights records, we'd probably have to hold the World Cup etc in Luxembourg every four years! | • Firstly, the reason Israel plays in European football tournaments is that, long before the 1967 war and the subsequent "occupation", Arab and some Asian countries refused to play Israel at any level. Secondly, if countries were stopped from hosting tournaments because of their human rights records, we'd probably have to hold the World Cup etc in Luxembourg every four years! |
| Lastly, the games played in Israel will be played in front of crowds unhindered by restrictions on race or gender, unlike the United Nations-sponsored Gaza marathon, which was cancelled due to the fact women were banned from running with men. The World Cup after next is in Russia which, last weekend, saw the arrest of dozens of gay rights activists in Moscow. I don't see any "show Russia the red card" protests. Simon Lyons London | Lastly, the games played in Israel will be played in front of crowds unhindered by restrictions on race or gender, unlike the United Nations-sponsored Gaza marathon, which was cancelled due to the fact women were banned from running with men. The World Cup after next is in Russia which, last weekend, saw the arrest of dozens of gay rights activists in Moscow. I don't see any "show Russia the red card" protests. Simon Lyons London |
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