English football’s silence on the Hamas attack – 10/13/2023 – Marina Izidro

Before the friendly between England and Australia, this Friday (13), at Wembley Stadium, there was a moment of silence. Players from both teams wore armbands as a sign of mourning. The English Football Association had released a statement a day earlier about paying tribute “to the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine”.

Also on Thursday, the Premier League had released a statement on what it called the “crisis in Israel and Gaza”, offering solidarity to victims and families, and explaining that it will have the same protocol in matches between October 21 and 23, on the return of the FIFA date. The first public demonstration by the two organizations followed criticism after six days of silence, and exposed the complexity of how and when football demonstrates solidarity.

In part, the demand was so strong because, in English sport, reactions after tragedies are usually quick. Recently, there were minutes of silence at Premier League games in honor of victims of an earthquake in Morocco and floods in Libya. After the attacks committed by the Islamic State in 2015, in Paris, the French anthem played in the stadiums of the English first division. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, the Wembley Stadium arch was lit up in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Football also tends to embrace important causes, such as the Black Lives Matter movement and the defense of LGBTQIA+ rights.

Two Arsenal players took a stand: Ukrainian Oleksandr Zinchenko made a post on Instagram supporting Israel, and Egyptian Mohamed Elneny posted the Palestinian flag as his profile photo on social media. Israeli striker Manor Solomon, from Tottenham, and the club, which has links with the Jewish community, mourned the tragedy. The British Olympic Association released a statement condemning the attack. In general, public demonstrations by athletes and clubs in England in the first few days were timid.

For the English sports press, a possible explanation for the lack of engagement would be the fear of appearing to be taking sides, choosing a side.

The British government reacted and this week asked sporting organizations to pay tribute to the victims. The Israeli flag was projected on Downing Street, the seat of government, and London City Hall. Since the Hamas attack on the 7th, at least 17 Britons are missing or have been killed.

There is, of course, no obligation for sport to speak out for all causes, and supporting one does not mean not caring about another. It is also necessary to respect individual decisions of athletes who prefer not to get involved publicly. Understand that reaching a consensus on what to write in a statement when there are several parties involved in a decision can take some time.

But there is a custom here in England to pay condolences, to show solidarity in times of sadness. English football chose to play this role, to take a stand on social causes and tragedies around the world. Not saying anything for days, in the face of atrocities committed by Hamas in an episode in which thousands of people have already died, was something that drew attention and was seen by critics as choosing causes, in a league where geopolitics and sport from time to time when they mix.

LINK PRESENT: Did you like this text? Subscribers can access five free accesses from any link per day. Just click the blue F below.