FIFA has explicit statutes preventing political or government interference. This should be a resigning matter for a repeatedly disgraced FIFA President.
Make no mistake: the GENOCIDE in Palestine could be stopped if the European Union, Israel’s largest trading partner, suspended trade agreements, imposed crippling sanctions, and imposed an arms embargo.
The EU has refused to use any of their leverage to end the mass slaughter of Palestinians.
They continue to guarantee immunity for Israeli generals and soldiers who are currently vacationing in Europe, regardless the fact that Israel kidnapped and tortured European citizens, and fired at European peacekeepers and soldiers in Lebanon.
The EU’s credibility and global standing is now buried under Gaza’s rubble, as a direct result of Von Der Leyen’s complicity in Israel’s genocide.
"Anyone who has served in the Israeli Forces in Gaza since October 2023 should be considered a suspect in relation to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of genocide"
-Chris Sidoti, UN Commission of Inquiry on Palestine
This report is haunting even for someone who has documented the most horrific aspects of this genocide - which too many world leaders pretend not to see.
I commend the Commission of Inquiry for its effort to bring about accountability and make the truth accessible.
The Independent Int'l Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory presents new report to the UN Human Rights Council.
"The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted & killed by the Israeli security forces."
https://t.co/vMARqOLxpC
We cannot allow the charge of genocide in Gaza to be obscured by accusations of antisemitism. Antisemitism is hatred of Jewish people; criticism of Israel is criticism of a state with military and political apparatus capable of committing genocide. The two must not be conflated.
"I have three questions today for Israeli people through this press conference. I want to speak to them directly," said Sidoti.
🔴What kind of people are your soldiers who would allow a 14 year old child to bleed to death over a 45 minute period?
🔴What kind of people are your military leaders that would inculcate a culture that soldiers feel free to do this, acting with total impunity?
🔴What kind of people are your leaders? When they give orders, they make statements that encourage this kind of conduct, not merely permit it, but encourage it?
"Israel has completely exhausted all credibility to ever again invoke the Holocaust."
In his new book, Israeli-American historian Omer Bartov leaves no room for doubt: the country where he was born is committing genocide in Gaza. In an interview with Expresso, he says that "the main enemy" of the Jewish state "is its own government." And he advocates European and American sanctions – not to punish Israel, but "to save it from itself."
https://t.co/xrtRs5FQgC
This is the year when the game of two halves became the game of four quarters. And the greatest sport and event was damaged for fistfuls of dollars. Hydration breaks ruin the game’s flow and frustrates fans and viewers. If hydration breaks were solely about player welfare then they would be linked to the temperature in the stadia. It’s a nonsense having a three-minute break in an air-conditioned arena.
Fifa should long ago have established a working party of coaches, sports scientists, national team doctors and Fifpro to agree a set temperature at kickoff, say 25C, which triggers the breaks. That would prove the breaks were for player welfare. At the moment, and to nobody’s surprise, it is widely accepted that these breaks are for US TV to accommodate commercials. Big bucks for the small screen.
Fifa should have thought more about the effect on games and to fan (and viewer) experience when negotiating. Coaches’ desire for a mid-half tactical time-out masquerading as a drinks stop should be resisted anyway. Games have been played for 150 years without needing such intervention. Coaches can shout instructions. And who says that 22 mins and 67 mins is when a coach needs to intervene anyway. It’s nonsense. It’s about money.
Respected and sane footballing voices from Virgil van Dijk to Mauricio Pochettino have spoken out against the breaks. Fifa should listen to them not appear only to listen to the rustle of dollar bills. It’s important that there is resistance to this from all over. Because if we tolerate this, our TV games could be next. BBC can’t do ads, ITV says it won’t follow its US counterparts. But it has been discussed by TV people. It’ll come one day. #FIFAWorldCup.
Press conference is now over. Very few questions to journalists who Fifa know have offered critical reporting of Infantino.
He's instead asked about Messi and who might win the World Cup.