More than six months into Israel’s genocide in Gaza, FIFA has yet to speak out in defense of Palestinian life. The wild success of the Palestinian team at this year’s Asian Cup did nothing to move FIFA to action. Not even Israel’s killings of Palestinian soccer legends Hani Al-Masdar and Mohammed Barakat, who livestreamed his final moments to the world, have convinced FIFA to break its shameful silence. Dave Zirin takes aim at FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, in this edition of ‘Choice Words.’
Studio Production: David Hebden
Post-Production: Taylor Hebden
Audio Post-Production: David Hebden
Opening Sequence: Cameron Granadino
Music by: Eze Jackson & Carlos Guillen
Transcript
Dave Zirin: Okay, look, before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, was fed up. Critics were denouncing the choice to host the event in the petro state, given its abysmal human rights record. So Infantino responded defiantly in a bizarre and rambling statement of solidarity with the host country and the billionaire barons behind it, saying, “Today, I feel Qatari. Today, I feel Arabic. Today, I feel African. Today, I feel gay. Today, I feel disabled. Today, I feel like a migrant worker.”
Infantino is trying to say, however painfully awkwardly, that football must be for everyone. Yet when it comes to his laundry list of symbolic identities, he clearly does not feel Palestinian other than a “condolence letter” on Oct. 13, sent only to the head of the Israeli Football Association, calling on football to be a vehicle for peace. Infantino has chosen to say nothing while Israel massacres Palestinian football players, coaches, and sports officials.
Infantino’s refusal to make even a token call for a permanent ceasefire reveals him to be a brazen hypocrite. Remember that FIFA leaped into action against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, temporarily banning them from all competition. And FIFA, in its statement at the time, said, “Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine.”
FIFA’s silence was especially disturbing in January when, amid the horrors of the Israel Defense Force’s attacks, Palestine sent a team to the Asian Cup, where they did surprisingly well by making it to the quarterfinals. The team was a fan favorite, as one might imagine, and the subject of a great deal of media coverage, at least outside the United States.
The irony simply blares. Here is the Palestinian team showing up for FIFA and playing a tournament under extreme duress, and here is FIFA turning its back.
Infantino’s silence and venality is damning. He will stand up to the West for Qatar’s billions, but not for a people in desperate need of courage and a voice. He’s making clear through his actions that FIFA will not cross the United States and Europe when it could affect the bottom line.
The price of FIFA’s self-censorship came into focus after Israel killed Palestinian national team member and football star Mohammed Barakat. In a widely seen video over social media, Barakat filmed his last public words as he could hear Israeli airstrikes getting closer.
Known as the Legend of Khan Younis, the 39-year-old Barakat was the first player in the Gaza Palestinian League to score 100 goals. He also played for the Al-Wehdat Club in Jordan, as well as professionally in Saudi Arabia. None of that mattered as Israel hit Barakat’s family home on the first day of fasting during the Islamic Holy Month of Ramadan.
According to the International Palestinian Football Association, Barakat is just one of hundreds of Palestinian players at all levels who have been killed by Israeli attacks. Israel even killed Hani Al-Masdar, one of Palestine’s greatest players and a manager of the Olympic team, last January.
And yet FIFA still says nothing. Perhaps that shouldn’t be too surprising. No one should ever look to FIFA or Gianni Infantino for moral guidance. Yet we should still demand that FIFA speaks out. FIFA represents the world’s most popular sport, and it has a responsibility to represent everybody.
FIFA has a power that could be a force of unity and justice. Infantino’s global solidarity, however, clearly does not extend to Palestinians. When we speak about the dehumanization of the Palestinian people, FIFA’s silence is part of what makes that a reality. This dehumanization is a prerequisite to the dancing IDF soldiers, the parties with a bounce house blocking food aid, the Israeli rappers recording genocide anthems, and all the other attendant horrors.
We must remember who chose to speak out and who remained silent. But we must also put pressure on the silent to raise their voices. And be assured that in the weeks ahead, Infantino will be remembered for what he does say and for what he doesn’t.
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