The Facebook page for international association football news website Goal.com – which has over 21 million followers – has posted the following video purportedly showing what football matches look like in a Gaza refugee camp (hat tip: Michal):
The video makes it sound like this primitive looking football field is the only one in the vicinity.
It isn’t.
Firstly, we need to understand where in Gaza the football field is located.
According to this Middle East Eye video, it is in Rafah:
Rafah itself has a number of way more impressive looking football fields, including Rafah Municipal Stadium:
and Khadamat Rafah Club:
Embed from Getty ImagesAnd Gaza itself has others, including:
- Al Zawayda Stadium
- Municipal Stadium Beit Hanoun
- Palestine Stadium
- Alermouk Stadium
- Yarmouk Stadium
- Stadium Albanian Mosque
- Stadium Neighbourhood UAE
- Marine Club Stadium
- Crescent Park
some of which are not so far from Rafah.
In other words, Goal.com’s video is highly misleading. The question is did they deliberately mislead, or were they themselves misled by those they interviewed? Either way, they should have done their homework to paint an accurate picture. Instead, they are helping perpetuate the false narrative of life in Gaza we have become accustomed to seeing.
