Argentina were set to play in Jerusalem ahead of the World Cup in Russia. But the game has been called off after a top Palestinian soccer official called on Arabs to burn Messi posters if Saturday’s match went ahead.
Jihadis operate by means of bullying and intimidation. Giving in to them only encourages more bullying and intimidation.
The Embassy of Israel regrets to communicate the suspension of the match between Israel and Argentina,” it said, citing “threats and provocations” against Barcelona star and Argentina captain Lionel Messi, one of the world’s most famous footballers, as grounds for the decision.
The Argentines, according to one of the organizers of the boycott, were in sympathy with the Palestinian jihadis:
One of the organizers of the boycott, Fadi Quran of the campaign group Avaaz, told DW that the decision to boycott the match came at the behest of the Argentine squad, in sympathy with the Palestinians.
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman is correct in saying that “canceling the games was giving in to hate.”
This is the Argentina in which a Jewish center was bombed in 1995, killing 85 people. The Argentine government has thereafter covered up what happened in that bombing, including the role of the Islamic Republic of Iran. A prosecutor who discovered this was murdered hours before he was to testify.
“Threats against Lionel Messi lead to Argentina-Israel warmup match cancellation,” DW, June 6, 2018:
Argentina’s World Cup warm-up match against Israel in Jerusalem has been canceled following protests by pro-Palestinian groups.
The Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires on Tuesday confirmed the cancellation of the match, which was scheduled to take place at the Teddy Kollek Stadium on Saturday.
“The Embassy of Israel regrets to communicate the suspension of the match between Israel and Argentina,” it said, citing “threats and provocations” against Barcelona star and Argentina captain Lionel Messi, one of the world’s most famous footballers, as grounds for the decision.
Palestinian anger
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday said canceling the games was giving in to hate.
“It’s a shame that Argentina’s footballing nobility did not withstand the pressure from Israeli-hating inciters,” he wrote on Twitter.
However, one of the organizers of the boycott, Fadi Quran of the campaign group Avaaz, told DW that the decision to boycott the match came at the behest of the Argentine squad, in sympathy with the Palestinians.
“We believe the main reason this game was canceled was that the Argentinian team got the facts,” said Quran. “The decision was made as a moral and ethical stance. I think it is an Israeli spin to try and frame it as being due to threats.”…..