A letter to FIFA
Dr Danny Lamm, President of the Zionist Federation of Australia, has sent a letter to world football organisation FIFA about its intentions to debate a motion calling for Israel’s suspension.
Dear President Blatter,
Dr Danny Lamm
I write on behalf of the Zionist Federation of Australia to express our profound disquiet at the news the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Congress intends to debate a motion introduced by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) for the suspension of the Israel Football Association (IFA). This PFA proposal is merely another manifestation of the unjust and immoral anti-Israel boycott campaign that seeks to isolate and marginalise both the Jewish state and the Jewish people.
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) defines sport as: “a recognised instrument for promoting peace.” But the suspension proposal advanced by the PFA constitutes an anti-peace initiative intended to politicize that which should be above politics – sport. The Palestinian proposal is also afflicted by a high degree of hypocrisy in light of the blanket ban imposed by a large number of Middle Eastern nations on entry by Israeli athletes.
For the FIFA Congress even to entertain such a divisively partisan proposal, much less approve it, will exacerbate inter-communal ethnic and religious tensions in the Middle East and beyond. And by lending its imprimatur to such a destructive initiative, FIFA through its own actions will be bringing the sport of football into serious disrepute.
The Zionist Federation of Australia strongly urges you to avoid this political ‘own goal’ that will undermine the credibility of both the organisation over which you preside, and the sport to which you have devoted so much of your life. We call upon you to use all the parliamentary procedural means at your proposal to prevent the inclusion of this politically destructive motion in the agenda FIFA Congress.
1) Danny’s letter is fine as far as it goes, but misses two issues. What is the basis of the Fakestinian motion? On what rule of FIFA has the motion been tabled for debate. Asking Blatter to use his parliamentary procedure skill is merely asking him to cleverly kill a motion, when what is needed is referring to rules of passing some that ensure that never again will that false people with vile goals never again use FIFA as part of their war by other means.
2) Danny should also have written to Israel and urged the government to stop all Palestinian Arab participation all national and international competitions, events and cultural matters until the motion before FIFA is withdrawn, apologised for and a promise obtained that such a stunt will never again be repeated.
Well said Mr. Winters.