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Investigate, Sanction Israel First – Norway Conditions World Cup Qualifiers
December 18, 2024 News
The
Norwegian Football Association has announced its rejection to compete
against the Israeli national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for
Europe. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)
By Palestine Chronicle Staff
Norwegian
Football Association President Lise Klaveness said that “the Norwegian
Football Association stands with the Norwegian government in its demand
for an immediate end to the disproportionate attacks on innocent
civilians in Gaza.”
The Norwegian Football Association has
announced its rejection to compete against the Israeli national team in
the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Europe, citing the ongoing Israeli war
against Gaza since October 7, 2023, the Safa news agency reported.
Israel’s
Ynet News, and other media sources, didn’t convey the news as a final
Norwegian decision not to compete against the Israeli team. However, it
reported that Norway wanted the International Federation of Association
Football (FIFA) to investigate the Israeli crimes against Palestinians
before the World Cup qualifier.
Norwegian Football Association
President Lise Klaveness said that “the Norwegian Football Association
stands with the Norwegian government in its demand for an immediate end
to the disproportionate attacks on innocent civilians in Gaza.”
She added,
“The
draw is difficult for us, beyond the purely sporting aspect. None of us
can remain indifferent to the disproportionate attacks that Israel has
inflicted on the civilian population of Gaza over a long period of
time.”
Klaveness went further, stating that Norway is actively
involved in calls for sanctions against Israel on the international
stage.
“Israel is still part of (the Union of European Football
Associations) UEFA competitions. We have to deal with that. We are
following the situation closely with FIFA, UEFA and the Norwegian
authorities,” she added.
According to Safa, Klaveness’s statements were first published on the Israeli Channel I24.
The
Norwegian national team is scheduled to play its matches against Israel
on March 25 and October 11. However, “the association’s decision to
boycott raises uncertainty about whether these fixtures will proceed,”
Safa reported.
Ongoing Genocide
Meanwhile, the Israeli
genocide in the Gaza Strip continued with the death toll among starved
and besieged Palestinian civilians rising daily.
Currently on
trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide
against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza
since October 7, 2023.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health,
45,059 Palestinians have been killed, and 107,041 wounded in Israel’s
ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel
says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa
Flood Operation on October 7. However, Israeli media published reports
suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly
fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The
Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of
nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast
majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern
region.
(The Palestine Chronicle)