Scottish trade unions called on supporters of soccer club Celtic to wave palestinian flags at yesterday’s Europa League home match against Hapoel Tel Aviv in “solidarity with suffering palestinians”.
“We hope that Celtic fans will join with us in a demonstration of support for a just and lasting peace in Israel/Palestine based on a secure Palestinian homeland living side by side with Israel,” Dave Moxham, deputy secretary general of the Scottish Trades Union Congress said in a statement.
However, Celtic urged their supporters to ignore the call, and the majority of fans were angered by the attempt to politicize the game.
Celtic fans have reacted with outrage at the Scottish Trade Union Congress’ attempts to use the Hapoel Tel Aviv Europa League match as a political rally against Israel.
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Writing on blogs, comments and message boards, Celtic fans have railed against the mixing of football and Middle East politics.
One blogger, writing on Celtic Quick News, wrote: ”They will receive the warm welcome all visiting fans get at Celtic Park. I am sure they will not bring Iraq or Afghanistan flags to Glasgow in some misguided protest; their geo-political awareness is far too well informed for that. Welcome Hapoel fans, I hope you enjoy your stay in Glasgow and your team get a good hiding.”
Over 635 comments followed, most backing the call against the STUC.
For the record, Celtic did give Hapoel Tel Aviv “a good hiding” (2-0), but Hapoel advanced to the next round.
Updates (Israel time; most recent at top)
5:30PM: Disturbing video taken at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Christmas Carol Service in London earlier this week.
Star of the show is a nice elderly English gentleman whose statements will tell you everything you need to know about the sort of people supporting the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and similar organizations.
3:38PM: Israeli Vice Premier Silvan Shalom, currently in Australia, has been greeted by hundreds of pro-palestinian protesters demonstrating against Israel in Canberra.
Meanwhile, Shalom has paid Australia a huge compliment.
Silvan Shalom, Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister, has a higher estimation of Australia than perhaps even most Australians do – he believes Australia is a leader of the free world and as such its strong support for Israel is critically important.
Mr Shalom is leading a delegation of 30 from Israel, the most high-powered and influential Israeli delegation to visit Australia, for the second Australia Israel Leadership Forum.
At a lunch in Sydney attended by Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott, Mr Shalom thanked Australia for two recent acts of solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people.
One was to reject the one-sided Goldstone Report, which accused Israel of war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
The other was to boycott the UN Anti-Racism Durban 11 conference, at which Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made his usual anti-Israel rant.
“Australia is one of the major leaders of the free world,” Mr Shalom told The Australian in Sydney. “There is the US, the EU, Japan, Canada and Australia that people always look to.
“With Australia leading with such a line which is supportive of Israel, with the US and Canada, this is tremendously important.
“I really believe there is a friendship between the peoples of Israel and Australia, based on common values of democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law (and) Western culture.”
9:15AM: Retired international soccer star Zinedine Zidane is planning a visit Gaza “as part of UNICEF’s efforts to promote regional peace in the Middle East”.
In other words, to express support for the palestinians and condemn Israel.
“I’m thrilled to be appointed by the UN children’s organization as an envoy to tour Gaza Strip. I will make every effort to give Gaza residents great big smiles on their faces.
“Gazans have suffered serious losses, damage, and injuries due to Israeli acts of violence,” Zidane stated.
It should be noted that Zidane is a French Muslim, so I very much doubt regional peace in the Middle east is what he truly wants. And if it is, it surely involves there being no state of Israel.
5:58AM: Palestinians are shocked by the footage of the Israeli man who ran over the palestinian terrorist who stabbed his wife a number of times with his car.
An amateur video shocked Palestinians on Tuesday, catching what appeared to be an Israeli settler repeatedly running over a wounded Palestinian at a gas station in Hebron last week.
The Palestinian, an unidentified man shot several times following an alleged knife attack at the station, appeared to be staggering when a silver Mercedes ran him down, stopped, reversed, and ran him over again.
The video was reportedly taken on Thursday, although at the time, Israeli representatives made no mention of the settler’s alleged attack, telling reporters only that a Palestinian man had been shot after he stabbed and lightly injured two settlers.
A military spokesman told Ma’an that after the two Israelis were hurt, a soldier shot and injured the Palestinian, who was taken to the Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital in Jerusalem. The settler, on the other hand, was released under house arrest.
That evening, a hospital spokeswoman told Ma’an the Palestinian was undergoing surgery for serious wounds, but did not mention he had been run over and trapped under a car. He was transported by an Israeli ambulance, she noted.
An example of things palestinians are not shocked by:
- Mothers of young children blowing themselves up with innocent people
- Palestinian terrorists firing deliberately at the head of an Israeli baby
- Mickey Mouse lookalikes and other children’s television show characters advocating the murder of Israelis
