Palestinian sports officials are calling for global action against Israel, accusing the country of implementing “apartheid policies and systemic restrictions” on Palestinian athletes. The remarks were made during a press conference organized by the Association of Correspondents Accredited to the UN (ACANU) in Geneva on Wednesday.
Jibril Rajoub, president of the Palestinian Football Association, urged the international sports community to take stronger action. He referenced the Olympic Charter’s values of ethics, social responsibility, and fair play, calling for real steps against Israel’s actions, similar to the international response against apartheid in sports.
“We urge the global community to uphold the Olympic Charter and all sports organizations’ principles by standing against genocide, apartheid, and systemic injustice,” Rajoub said.
Rajoub called for sanctions on Israel until it complies with international law, and for an end to corporate sponsorship of Israeli teams that operate under what he described as an apartheid system. He also called for Israel’s isolation from international sports competitions.
He criticized the international community for what he saw as a “double standard” in its treatment of Russia and Israel. While Russian athletes face sanctions, Israel continues to compete freely in global sports events, he pointed out.
“Where is the international community? Where is the justice? Where is the fairness?” Rajoub asked.
Palestinian swimmer Valerie Tarazi also spoke at the briefing, focusing on the destruction of Palestinian sports infrastructure over the past year. She revealed that 265 sports facilities had been destroyed, with 184 reduced to rubble, including stadiums, Olympic Committee headquarters, and playing fields in Gaza.
Tarazi also shared the personal cost of the violence, noting that over 300 Palestinian athletes, coaches, and referees had been killed, including her own friends and teammates.
She called for more than just verbal condemnation from organizations like the International Olympic Committee and FIFA. “The destruction of Palestinian sports infrastructure must have consequences,” she stressed. “We don’t ask for special treatment. We ask for fairness, equality, and the right for all athletes to train and compete.”
Tarazi concluded by highlighting the ongoing risk of further destruction, saying that without actionable protection, everything rebuilt remains vulnerable to being destroyed again.
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