NI vs Israel match should not go ahead

AS with many apologists for Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people, David Collins (Write Back, February 26) erroneously conflates legitimate criticism of that state with anti-Semitism.

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), as part of the global movement striving for justice for the Palestinian people, is an avowedly anti-racist organisation and decries all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism.

Indeed, in addition to our Jewish members, between 2009 and 2010 the chairperson of the IPSC was Jewish. We, therefore, strongly reject and refute Mr Collins’ baseless accusations.

This year marks 70 years of the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe) since Israel ethnically cleansed over 750,000 indigenous Palestinians from their land.

Since then, Israel has enacted policies of displacement, apartheid and siege, coupled with military occupation, mass incarcerations (including children) and the wholesale killing of thousands of people.

As the international community has failed to take any meaningful action against Israel for its international law and human rights violations, Palestinian civil society has called for a boycott, including a sporting boycott, to apply pressure.

It should, therefore, come as no surprise that the IPSC would call for the football match between Northern Ireland and the Israeli national team not to go ahead.

While Israel continues to attack Palestinian sport and the Israel Football Association, in violation of international law, allows its teams to play in stadiums located in illegal settlements in occupied Palestine, it is incumbent on those who support human rights and equality to protest this match and to continue to call for the expulsion of Israel from Fifa and Uefa until that state respects Palestinian rights and international law.

ZOE LAWLOR

Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign