West Asian Football Federation championship has been a popular and demanding soccer tourney in West Asian part of the world, coz many still believe soccer can harmonize the tense relations between States in the region. This international event is in its fourth installment, and this time, organizers planned this in Israel with a hope that Palestine, Jordan, UAE, and Iraq will participate in it sidelining their democratic relations, but on the contrary, conflict starts right on the first day of the event. Reportedly, Israeli armed forces refused to allow Palestinians players along with some top officials to enter in their States citing their long running border dispute. The event has already started in Jordan today but without Palestine. Now, Palestine has asked FIFA to take a strict action on Israel coz they have breached an international agreement whereby Palestinian players were authorized to visit for a soccer event. In fact, matter has also been taken to the UEFA where Israel belongs to and wants European governing body to put a pressure on adamant Israel to allow WAFF run smoothly.
Jibril Rajoub, president of Palestinian Football Association, said, “We ask for a red card, because the yellow card has been raised now for a long time, we are clinging to the red card to take away the Israeli occupation’s legitimacy and we will not accept any compromise.”
It is not the far behind when FIFA president himself committed to create a coherence between the two States using soccer and within few months of his exaggerated statement one of them is clearly violating their playing norms. He told that time during his visit to Palestine, “We will help you. Football will help you. I have taken you in my heart. I’m in a sport-diplomatic mission to transmit to the Israeli authorities the problems which your football faces, especially when it comes to the movement of players to get in and out of Palestine, I will fight for your cause. Football shall not create borders; football shall bring people together.”
Obviously, he was right on the target but forget to do something on ground and that is why none of the States in dispute is ready to initiate a peace process. Notably, another such event, i.e., WAFF Under-21’s Youth Championship is going top be hosted in Palestine and chances are they will also not allow Israeli players to enter into their territory; hence UEFA and FIFA both are expected to make a statement over the matter very soon.