victory for football." Of course, the day meant much more than the initiation of a long overdue stadium for a nation that has been a member of FIFA since 1998. Given the abundance of political tension in the area over the past decade, Sunday's match provided fans with a rare opportunity to express their national pride with unbridled optimism. The PA announcer belted cheers such as "football is more noble than war," while Blatter effectively endorsed Palestinian political aspirations, echoing that, "football is hope for politicians to reach the goal." Certainly, a new soccer stadium will not fix the seemingly unsolvable land dispute with Israel, but for many, such as Palestinian Football Association (PFA) President and former national security adviser Jibril Rajoub, the occasion marked an opportunity to politicize the determination and unity of the Palestinian people. As the Reuters Soccer Blog notes, Rajoub's insistence on referring to Jerusalem as the location of the new stadium, rather than the town Ram (as stated by FIFA), was in many ways a "statement about nationhood, sovereignty, and identity that goes to the heart of the Middle East Conflict."Certainly, this momentous occasion is a symbol of hope for the future, but it is important not to blow its effects out of proportion. Although many, such as thirty-nine year old Hiyam al Wahwah, are encouraged that "things will really change and that [they] can live like any other people," circumstances may signal otherwise. The hostility between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, has led Israel to impose severe rules and regulations that greatly restrict travel to and from the area. Consequently, Palestinian soccer players from the area have often been unable to attend training sessions, practices, and even games abroad. In fact, team captain Saeb Jundiyeh missed the historic game because he was not allowed to travel to the West Bank. Earlier this year, moreover, the entire team failed to show for a World Cup qualifying match in Singapore, claiming that the eighteen members of the team based in Gaza did not receive Israeli permits to leave. Even the excitement surrounding the new stadium is somewhat stifled when one needs to look only yards beyond the stadium to notice what one blogger calls "Israel's apartheid wall." Such issues are bound to persist if violence continues to dominate the region, as it has since Hamas's aggressive seizure of the Gaza strip (pictured below, right). Fairly or unfairly, Israel's travel restrictions are essentially a form of national security, which inevitably takes precedence over complaints relating to soccer matches.
However, the emergence of a home soccer stadium has provided a renewed sense of nationalism, something that cannot be understated. Certainly, the people understand that the conflict will not end overnight and that the forces of soccer cannot produce an internationally recognized Palestinian state;
still, every piece of the puzzle, small or large, is an important stepping stone, a necessary building block. As fifty-year old soccer fan Suleiman al-Suhairi pronounced, "this shows the world that we are capable of hosting a major sporting event and that our people aspire to live a normal life despite the occupation." Rajoub goes even further, asserting that the new stadium establishes that "Israeli occupation, the closures, and the difficult living conditions have not defeated the determination of the Palestinian people." Indeed, the remodeling of a national institution has, at the least, reemphasized a unity among Palestinians that has been rare in recent years. Before the game, for example, senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniya actually called Rajoub, a former leader of the secular Fatah party, in order to wish the team luck. Such an occurrence by no means signifies that the two opposing political parties will reconcile their differences to form a united front, but as mentioned above, every small step counts during times of hardship. Still, questions linger regarding what to do next. It remains to be seen if the current optimism will remain on the rise or begin to drop off as the remodeled stadium becomes old news. Perhaps the One Voice peace movement has the right idea in its proposal for Israel/Palestine to host the 2018 World Cup. Such a move would not only force the two sides to coordinate together, but would also bring in players and media from around the world, shining an international spotlight on the region. Practically speaking, however, this proposition remains idealistic and improbable. Again, there appears to be no easy solution in sight, but at the least, the reemergence of soccer in Palestine should provide temporary reprieve to the difficulties of the current conflict.
2 comments:
This is a very interesting topic that I would probably never have been aware of unless I read your post. I find it refreshing that among all the international news concerning basketball and American football, you have turned to a lesser known sport in this entry. Additionally, it is nice to hear about events in Palestine other than conflict. Your entry shows that you are well-versed and passionate about your topic. I find it very effective how you explain beyond the facts of a soccer game-- the sense of nationalism and hardships are explored as well. The images that you have chosen to compliment your post coincide nicely with the story and add to the message of your post. In an all around visual sense, your blog is probably one of the best looking that I have come across during our presentations.
In terms of style, it is notable that you can easily mix facts with your personal opinion. This is one of your biggest strengths as a writer that I can see from this entry. You could probably increase your assertiveness in this sense by choosing to work with more professional diction. For example, at the beginning you state that Joseph Blatter was cheering with the "frenzied fans". Because of the alliteration and connotation of the word "frenzied", using a more sophisticated language would help the post. Another strong aspect that I noticed while reading your blog is you are not careless when it comes to linking to your sources. On top of this, your references seem very credible. To add to this continuity, I suggest choosing more meaningful quotations from the sites. There is a viable purpose for quoting that "football is more noble that war", but in some cases, it might make more sense to paraphrase.
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