Jibril Rajoub demands boycott of Israel in sports

• Jibril Rajoub “conveyed blessings to all the Arab athletes who have refused to compete with Israeli athletes”
   
• Rajoub demands implementation of boycott defined by Council of Arab Ministers for Youth and Sports:

“To refuse to participate in any event that the occupation state hosts; To refuse to host any event in which Israeli groups participate; and for every Arab athlete to refuse to compete against an Israeli athlete."

This week, Jibril Rajoub demanded the implementation of all the boycott clauses prohibiting “normalization” with Israel in sports as agreed upon by the Council of Arab Ministers for Youth and Sports in October 2019. Rajoub, who is Head of the PLO Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and Fatah Central Committee Secretary, publicized at the time the definitions of the prohibited “normalization with the occupation”: 

“A. No Arab will participate in any sports activity in Israel. In other words, one that Israel hosts.
B. We reject that any Arab or Islamic state host any championship with the participation of Israelis.
C. Any athlete who advances a stage and an Israeli is competing against him will not meet him.”

[Facebook page of Jibril Rajoub, Oct. 15, 2019]

Now, adding his blessings to Arab athletes who have already refused to compete with Israelis, Rajoub is demanding of the entire Arab world to implement all of the clauses defining the prohibited “normalization” with Israel in sports:

“Rajoub… demanded to implement the clauses of the Executive Office's decision that are relevant to normalization in the field of sports and that were approved in advance: To refuse to participate in any event that the occupation state hosts; To refuse to host any event in which Israeli groups participate; and for every Arab athlete to refuse to compete against an Israeli athlete. He conveyed blessings to all of the Arab athletes who have refused to compete with Israeli athletes."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 5, 2020]

Rajoub first announced the Arab sports world’s boycott decisions as defined by the Executive Office of the Council of Arab Ministers for Youth and Sports at a dinner in October 2019 hosted by the PA presidential institution in honor of the visiting Saudi Arabian national football team, as reported by Palestinian Media Watch. Attendees included the PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh, government ministers, members of the PLO Executive Committee and the Fatah Central Committee, commanders of the PA Security Forces, and leaders of the private sector.

Finally, Rajoub also holds the position of Chairman of the Palestinian Football Association which is a member of FIFA. Rajoub’s call for continued boycott of Israel is in direct violation of FIFA rules. PMW has submitted multiple complaints to FIFA about Rajoub, one of which led to Rajoub’s suspension from Palestinian football and all FIFA activities for a year. Rajoub was furious and publically blamed PMW:

"They are waging this war on all fronts. There's Palestinian Media Watch, whose director is Goebbels - Goebbels, Hitler's ideological theorist... He is the Goebbels of the 21st century… He submitted a complaint to the Olympic Committee, he submitted a complaint to FIFA, and when I traveled to the US - he also spread [his accusations] in the US. The only thing he does is to deal with me."

[Official PA TV Live, Sept. 3, 2018]

PMW’s additional complaints against Rajoub, for which Rajoub has been notified that the must respond and defend his behavior, are still pending. PMW will notify FIFA of this recurring fundamental violation of FIFA statutes by Rajoub.

The following is a longer excerpt of the report on Rajoub’s recent statement:

Headline: "The Council of Arab Ministers for Youth and Sports decides to hold its next meeting in Palestine"

"The Executive Office of the Council of Arab Ministers for Youth and Sports decided… yesterday [Jan. 4, 2020] to hold its next meeting in Palestine, at the request of Head of the [PLO] Supreme Council for Youth and Sports [and Fatah Central Committee Secretary] Jibril Rajoub.

Rajoub emphasized that convening the next session of the Executive Office in Palestine has great significance…

He demanded to implement the clauses of the Executive Office's decision that are relevant to normalization in the field of sports and that were approved in advance: To refuse to participate in any event that the occupation state hosts; To refuse to host any event in which Israeli groups will participate; and also for every Arab athlete to refuse to compete against an Israeli athlete.". He conveyed blessings to all of the Arab athletes who have refused to compete with Israeli athletes."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 5, 2020]

Jibril Rajoub also holds the positions of Chairman of the Palestinian Football Association, Chairman of the Palestine Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the Palestinian Scout Association (PSA).