Israel targeted sports fields during Gaza offensive because “it just wants to kill anything we love”
PA daily sports columnist Badr Makki
Headline: “Life Returns to Gaza’s [Football] Fields”
“The sounds of aerial bombardments and artillery shells have been silenced in Gaza, and the resistance’s rocket fire on the Hebrew entity’s (i.e., Israel’s) cities has quieted. But the panic that beset the entity (i.e., Israel) will be remembered. But for the resistance, this is just a fighter’s respite, and future rounds [of fighting] won’t be like those of the past. With the outbreak of hostilities (i.e., Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense, November 2012) the [Gaza Football] Union announced that league play would be suspended, and in entity (i.e., Israeli) cities, their union suspended league play as well. Entity (Israeli) athletes were harmed as never before… Gaza made its statement: ‘An eye for an eye’, and they [the Israelis] lived their lives in bomb shelters. Gaza was victorious because it inflicted fear. This fragile entity (Israel) was in shock, and what a shock!
… The occupation acts strangely. They bombed [football] fields – open fields from where no rockets had been launched. The occupation just wants to kill anything we love. Given our extensive sports activities in all the districts, they just don’t want us to live or to dream. But their attacks only made us stronger and more resolute…
Yes, dear [FIFA President Sepp] Blatter… I told [UEFA President Michel] Platini) and I’m telling you now. Are you going to take a stand -or at least threaten- to expel this entity from the network of honest competitions and fair play? I think they deserve a red card, and that’s it!
Peace be upon you, residents of Gaza, always.”
Headline: “Life Returns to Gaza’s [Football] Fields”
“The sounds of aerial bombardments and artillery shells have been silenced in Gaza, and the resistance’s rocket fire on the Hebrew entity’s (i.e., Israel’s) cities has quieted. But the panic that beset the entity (i.e., Israel) will be remembered. But for the resistance, this is just a fighter’s respite, and future rounds [of fighting] won’t be like those of the past. With the outbreak of hostilities (i.e., Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense, November 2012) the [Gaza Football] Union announced that league play would be suspended, and in entity (i.e., Israeli) cities, their union suspended league play as well. Entity (Israeli) athletes were harmed as never before… Gaza made its statement: ‘An eye for an eye’, and they [the Israelis] lived their lives in bomb shelters. Gaza was victorious because it inflicted fear. This fragile entity (Israel) was in shock, and what a shock!
… The occupation acts strangely. They bombed [football] fields – open fields from where no rockets had been launched. The occupation just wants to kill anything we love. Given our extensive sports activities in all the districts, they just don’t want us to live or to dream. But their attacks only made us stronger and more resolute…
Yes, dear [FIFA President Sepp] Blatter… I told [UEFA President Michel] Platini) and I’m telling you now. Are you going to take a stand -or at least threaten- to expel this entity from the network of honest competitions and fair play? I think they deserve a red card, and that’s it!
Peace be upon you, residents of Gaza, always.”