May 30, 2015
The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) has welcomed the compromise reached at the FIFA congress after the Palestinian Football Association withdrew its call to suspend Israel at FIFA’s world meeting in Zurich.
ADC Chairman, Dr Dvir Abramovich, issued the following statement:
“The bid by the Palestinian Football Association to oust Israel from international soccer competition was a patent attempt to further isolate and malign the Jewish state as part of the Palestinian BDS campaign. This unilateral and confrontational political move, which sought to use FIFA as a weapon to vilify and harm Israel’s standing, went against the core values of fair play and non-discrimination that are integral to the arena of sport. We welcome the withdrawal of this one-sided and biased proposal, and applaud FIFA’s leadership and nation members for making it clear that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be left out of a game that is loved and played by billions, and which should serve as a vehicle to promote peace and reconciliation between young people in the Mid-east and around the world.”
The Anti-Defamation Commission, founded in 1979, is Australia’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through educational programs that combat bigotry, prejudice and all forms of hatred.
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on (03) 9272 5677
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