August 20 – UEFA’s ‘Stop Killing Children – Stop Killing Civilians’ humanitarian message to the world’s warmongers before the Super Cup final has caused more discontent with Jewish organisations, with Maccabi Europe being the latest to claim that they are the victims.
Maccabi Europe, a charity registered in Luxembourg, in an open letter to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said the message has “opened up links for anti-Israeli resentments on social media”.
The banner did not name Israel or any religious group, and UEFA has not made any comment following the Super Cup final. However Israeli football fans and Jewish groups have taken exception to the message saying that they are the intended target.
The Maccabi Europe letter claims “the choice of colors, the context, and accompanying symbolism, such as the presenceof two refugee children from Gaza in your company, offer room for dangerous interpretation.”
The Maccabi Europe letter overlooks the fact that Super Cup final also had children from other war torn nations as part of the opening ceremony.
“We believe that attributing sole responsibility for this to Israel is a fatal misjudgment that reinforces anti-Israeli sentiment worldwide. The banner can be perceived as a one-sided accusation against Israel and echoes narratives that have historically contributed to the demonization of Jewish life – particularly the antisemitic narrative of child murder. Such portrayals do riot promote peace but fuel antisemitic hate,” said the letter.
The ‘blood libel’ narrative is one that Jewish organisations frequently role out and relate to a middle ages accusation that Jews require human blood – preferably gentile – for some of their religious ceremonies. It is a trope and a narrative that is clearly ridiculous but one which Jewish organisations have been quick to reinvoke following protests against the Israeli massacres in Gaza that have killed more than 60,000 civilians, wounded more than 150,000, and the forced displacement of 1.9 million Palestinians.
This was in response to the brutality of the Hamas attacks in that saw 1,139 people murdered and 251 hostages taken.
The letter concludes: “We therefore respectfully request an official statement from UEFA regarding this incident and clarification on the following questions: What was the intention behind the banner campaign and its dissemination in the media? What responsibility does UEFA assume for the anti-Israeli interpretations and reactions it provoked? And howdoes UEFA intend to ensure that political messaging on the pitch does not contribute to the spread of coded antisemitic narratives in the future?”
It is likely that UEFA will continue to refuse to be drawn into a political or religious debate and will “respectfully” decline the offer to respond to what are presumably rhetorical questions. However, the answers from the rest of the football world (bar FIFA’s executive who have proved staunch supporters of the Israeli narrative) are pretty ob
Ultimately the unceasing and indiscriminate bombing of civilians in another territory or country is an international crime and a matter for the international human rights courts. A court system that has served the Jews well in the past. As to what side of history and international law Israel will end up on with the war on Palestine remains to be seen.
Maccabi Europe is correct to point out that global public opinion is against Israel’s bombing. Does that automatically make it anti Jewish?
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1755698727labto1755698727ofdlr1755698727owedi1755698727sni@n1755698727osloh1755698727cin.l1755698727uap1755698727
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