The decision to go ahead and play Maccabi Tel Aviv during their pre-season has been met with outrage PhotoTribuna
South Africa – The decision by Orlando Pirates to proceed with a scheduled friendly match against the Israeli Club Maccabi Tel Aviv on the 13 July has ignited a heated debate. Members of the ANC and fans of the club, have expressed their concern and opposition to this match, calling for a cultural boycott of Israel.
The footballing community have slammed the club for their decision to go ahead with the friendly. Tato, a lifelong supporter of the club, argued that by playing against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Orlando Pirates would be disregarding the plight of the Palestinian people and indirectly endorsing the Israeli government’s policies.
“To play against them is an embarrassment. It is a disgrace. How can we say we are in support of Palestine but we are willing to play an Israeli team? When we were living under Apartheid, our national teams were barred from tournaments and if the international footballing community won’t take a stand, then we should do it ourselves. We don’t need to wait to be told what to do. Playing against them is indirectly saying that the club and South Africa are fine with what Israel are doing.”
Orlando Pirates’ justification and historical context
Orlando Pirates, a club deeply rooted in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, has released a statement justifying their decision to proceed with the match. They argue that the club is ”naturally conscious of the plight of the Palestinian people”. They emphasised their history of actively participating in dismantling apartheid and drew parallels to the Palestinian struggle for liberation.
Hassen Lorgat, Member of the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA), is happy the ANC has come out against Orlando Pirates and explained this is nothing but an attempt by Isreal to use “sports as a way to hide the dehumanisation and daily attacks”.
Lorgat argued that if Orlando Pirates were “naturally conscious” they would know there is a team in Gaza composed predominantly of individuals with disabilities, including amputees. These young players were shot at, beaten and are living with these disabilities because of the Israeli Defence Force.
“A big documentary was made about them by Al Jazeera. A large number of them have been injured because of the war on them by the Israeli State and the army. This in itself is an indictment of what’s happening. They should know what happened in Jenin last week. It is worse than Apartheid. There’s a world consensus out there that Israel is an Apartheid state.” When Willie Madisha and Bishop Tutu went down there, they made a sterling conclusion. It wasn’t Apartheid, it was worse than Apartheid.”
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The Rule of Law
Pirates also state that,
“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.”
However, Lorgat pointed out Orlando Pirates are mistaken. The ruling party has now asked them to not play. Lorgat also mentioned the campaign which took place on 26 June 1952 called “the defiance of unjust laws” or The Defiance Campaign which goes against the reasoning of Orlando Pirates.
“Even law is unjust. We don’t need our government to tell us this is wrong. What is clearly important here is that Palestinians have called upon us. Our historical allies have called upon us to support them. It’s not just out of the blue … I think that they are wrong but almost 38 years ago there was a rebel football team that came to the country. They came here to try and break the isolation but teams in Soweto and others didn’t give it support and this rebel football tour basically collapsed without a lack of support from inside. It’s that legacy, that history that we want Pirates to remember. Not the selective history. The one that is guided by money.”
Fellow football watcher, Maqsaeed, also called out Orlando Pirates for trying to place the blame on FIFA. In their statement the Buccaneers claim the match was “organised by a FIFA Match Agent” and they had “no hand in organising the event”.
“They should just boycott the game. It is foolish for them to try and make excuses about it. Your team sets up friendly fixtures with other teams, not FIFA.”
Tato also echoed the words of Maqsaeed questioning why The Sea Robbers would stoop to such levels and continue with the match.
“Do they need FIFA to tell them playing against such a team is wrong? They claim they are aware of the Palestinian struggle but yet they move on with the match. It is hypocritical and they cannot blame FIFA for this. Even if the match is organised by them, they could have rejected and asked for a new opponent. They are just in it for the money and now they are trying to blame everyone. Trying to save their reputation while still coming home with ‘blood money’. They cannot have their cake and eat it. These reasons being thrown by them is nonsense.”
The decision by Orlando Pirates to proceed with their scheduled friendly match against Maccabi Tel Aviv has sparked intense debate and raised important questions about solidarity, human rights, and the role of sports in politics. The opposition to this match stems from concerns about normalising the oppressive conditions faced by Palestinians under Israeli occupation. Supporters and activists have the power to exert pressure on the club, withdraw their support, and engage in educational efforts to foster awareness and understanding. It is crucial that the government also plays a role in promoting accountability and ensuring that these discussions reach a wider audience. Ultimately, this controversy provides an opportunity for introspection and a reaffirmation of the principles of justice, solidarity, and human rights within the realm of sports.
Hassen Lorgat discussed with Julie Alli the government’s role, accountability, consequences, and responses. They also explored how sports events can be a powerful tool for resistance. Listen here to the insightful discussion:
