PMW exposé leads Germany to cancel major sports deal with PA
PMW exposé leads Germany to cancel major sports deal
with Palestinian Football Association
by Itamar Marcus and Yocheved T. Kolchin
The German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) is cancelling a recently-announced partnership with the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) because of evidence publicized by Palestinian Media Watch. According to the federation's spokeswoman Ulrike Spits, Germany called off the deal because "not all partners are committed to the high values of sport."
Under the 400,000 Euro agreement, Germany had planned to send sports expert Gert Engels to coach the Palestinian football team over a period of two years. The agreement, the first of its kind, was co-signed by German representative Peter Beerwerth and PFA Chairman Jibril Rajoub.
Under the 400,000 Euro agreement, Germany had planned to send sports expert Gert Engels to coach the Palestinian football team over a period of two years. The agreement, the first of its kind, was co-signed by German representative Peter Beerwerth and PFA Chairman Jibril Rajoub.
Immediately after the deal was signed, PMW released the bulletin "Germany signs sports agreement with terror-promoting PA official." The Simon Wiesenthal Center followed up with an official complaint to the DOSB drawing documentation from PMW's The Rajoub File. Today, the German daily taz.de reported that DOSB has withdrawn from the partnership.
Here are a few of Rajoub's incriminating statements from The Rajoub File:
- Rajoub: "Whoever carried out individual acts of heroism (i.e., terror attacks), we in the Fatah movement bless and encourage them. We consider them heroes and a crown on the head of every Palestinian. [Official PA TV, Jan. 2, 2016]
- Rajoub: "The international community does not agree to a bus exploding in Tel Aviv. But the international community does not ask what happens to a settler or soldier in the occupied territories at the wrong time and in the wrong place. No one asks about him!" [Official PA TV, Oct. 17, 2015]
- Rajoub: "Fascists can learn a lesson from this state [of Israel]. This government -- there is none more brazen in human history... We'll suspend their [FIFA] membership and this way we'll screw them... I won't agree to any joint game between Arabs and Israel." [Official PA TV, July 1, 2013]
- Rajoub: "Under no circumstances will there be normalization... No Jews, no Satans, no Zionist sons of bitches." [Official PA TV, May 17, 2012]
The cancellation of this agreement is a major blow to PFA Chairman Jibril Rajoub, who has lately attacked Israel at FIFA International. PMW has already supplied FIFA with the information in The Rajoub File.
Now the question is: Will FIFA follow the DOSB's lead and declare the PFA and Rajoub "not committed to the high values of sport"?