BDS ISRAEL EDITION

[Nefertiti2]

https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/1004110805430947848

[EIM]

Was just about to start a thread in the World Cup forum about why I'll be supporting Argentina. Won't bother now. No need.

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/DanEdwardsGoal/status/1004127802222882821

[EIM]

I thought political involvement in football could get you banned and that?

[ursus arctos]

How unlike Bibi to violate well-established rules and norms

[Nefertiti2]

Is this a real Messi quote?

I hope so

https://twitter.com/1lovearsenal/status/1004143423362719745

[Duncan Gardner]

No comment yet from Belfast- we're due to play Israel in a September friendly

[ad hoc]

Is this a real Messi quote?

I hope so

https://twitter.com/1lovearsenal/status/1004143423362719745

I'd take it on advisement at this stage. I hope so too, but I'd need some stronger evidence

[Nefertiti2]

Higuain is on the record here

The Israeli embassy in Argentina has apparently claimed the reason for cancellation were death threats against Messi.

[Kevin S]

I doubt that's from Messi; I'd be tempted to add a 'not all Israelis' to a comment like 'play against people who kill...'

[EIM]

Seems unlikely

[Bored Of Education]

Be nice if Argentina would play Palestine instead - who need the money and profile more - but this will do.

[Sean of the Shed]

Before everyone gets completely creamed up about Argentina cancelling a friendly game with Israel it's surely worth noting that to do so they would have had to agreed to play Israel in the first place. I think I'll reserve my adulation for teams that wouldn't contemplate arranging a football match against Israel at all.

[Benjm]

Pete 'Poet, Ratbag' Doherty appeared to be wearing an Argentina shirt the other night at the Roundhouse benefit concert that ad hoc mentioned over on World. Perhaps he was sending the team a coded message that if the game went ahead they might fall off balconies in mysterious circumstances.

[Kevin S]

Scotland and Albania have got Israel in the UEFA Nations League. Would be interesting if either or both refused to play them.

[Duncan Gardner]

In the day's most predictable stunt Sinn Fein have called for the Northern Ireland game to call off. If not in so few words

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Before everyone gets completely creamed up about Argentina cancelling a friendly game with Israel it's surely worth noting that to do so they would have had to agreed to play Israel in the first place. I think I'll reserve my adulation for teams that wouldn't contemplate arranging a football match against Israel at all.

yeah, exactly. the people who deserve credit here aren't the argentine fa or players but palestinian activists (and those standing in solidarity with them) globally, but especially in the protests in barcelona.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Scotland and Albania have got Israel in the UEFA Nations League. Would be interesting if either or both refused to play them.

They won't.

[Nefertiti2]

Fucking hell there are some sourpusses on here. Argentina boycotted a game against Israel in Jerusalem with pressure from lots of people- including the argentine players.

Why battle to give them no credit.

[Nefertiti2]

Fucking hell there are some sourpusses on here. Argentina boycotted a game against Israel in Jerusalem with pressure from lots of people- including the argentine players.

Why battle to give them no credit.

[Wouter D]

Before everyone gets completely creamed up about Argentina cancelling a friendly game with Israel it's surely worth noting that to do so they would have had to agreed to play Israel in the first place. I think I'll reserve my adulation for teams that wouldn't contemplate arranging a football match against Israel at all.

I dunno about this. It's hard to grab the headlines with "Country X didn't set up a friendly with Israel for geopolitical reasons!"
Conversely, "Country X cancels previously arranged friendly with Israel for geopolitical reasons" will make some waves.

Then again, who am I to complain if you express adulation for the Netherlands 1990-2018 (and counting)?

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Fucking hell there are some sourpusses on here. Argentina boycotted a game against Israel in Jerusalem with pressure from lots of people- including the argentine players.

Why battle to give them no credit.

ok it's good that the Argentine FA, in response to massive protests from Palestinians in Palestine and in the diaspora, decided not to participate in a stage-managed piece of hasbara, on occupied soil.

it's bad that it took massive protests for this to happen

[Benjm]

Then again, who am I to complain if you express adulation for the Netherlands 1990-2018 (and counting)?

Fair play to Die Oranje, but the gesture is bound to attract more attention when, as here, it comes from a major international football power. ;-)

[ad hoc]

The ideal would be for bands / national FAs etc to - in response to an invite - say "We were invited to play in Israel and here is exactly why we have said no"

In the case of Shakira for example it's really hard to understand why she even said yes in the first place, she must have enough power over her own tours. But having said yes it's obviously good that she said no in the end.

In the case of Argentina, if as seems to be the case as much as we yet know, that players asked for it to be cancelled after coming under positive pressure, then this works for me. It will have been the Argentinian FA who made the decision to play there in the first place not Messi and Higuain.

Anyway it's fucking ace news.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

ok it's good that the Argentine FA, in response to massive protests from Palestinians in Palestine and in the diaspora, decided not to participate in a stage-managed piece of hasbara, on occupied soil.

it's bad that it took massive protests for this to happen

To clarify this, I think the more credit you give the Argentine FA and players (who would, presumably, have happily played on occupied soil but for the protests), the less you give BDS campaigners worldwide.

BDS relies not on individual celebrities growing a conscience, but on the ability to bring sustained pressure to bear on anyone who breaks the boycott. And this is a major victory for them, and one worth celebrating.