“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has always been quite present in the stadiums”

Interview As the Football match between France and Israel approaches, the holding of which is contested, the geopolitologist and sports specialist in the Middle East Raphaël Le Magoariec responds to “New Obs” on the issues of politicization of stadiums.

After the violence in Amsterdam, on the sidelines of the Europa League match, Thursday evening, between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel-Aviv, all eyes are turning towards the Stade de France where the meeting of League of Nations between France and Israel. Lately, support for Palestine has been increasing in the stands, such as the tifo of PSG supporters during the match at the Parc des Princes against Atletico Madrid or the actions of Real Sociedad supporters, dressed entirely in red jumpsuit, as if stained with blood, in Spain. Raphaël Le Magoariec, geopolitologist and sports specialist in the Middle East, explains to “New Obs” the implications of the war in the Middle East in European stadiums.

Tifo “Free Palestine” in Paris, bloody suits at Real Sociedad, violence in Amsterdam… Is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict entering the stadium stands?

Raphaël Le Magoariec The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has always been quite present in the stadiums. Palestinian symbolism has greatly structured ultra movements in certain European countries. There are different affiliations with this conflict, it is not part of the same realities depending on each city.

For example, in the stands of the Olympique de Marseille, there are regularly flags of Palestine because there are a set of cultural references which make the link between this Mediterranean city and Palestine. There is also the question of colonization in Algeria which comes into play. It’s really a reference to emancipation.

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In Spain, the Palestinian question has always been strongly claimed and perceived through these questions of emancipation and independence. It is not insignificant that protest actions take place in the Spanish Basque Country where there is a desire for emancipation from the Spanish State.

In Paris, it is part of a club at the same time [le PSG] which is held by Qatar, a state which demonstrates in a symbolic and also diplomatic manner its solidarity with the Palestinian people. But there is also a socialization around this club which comes from the Parisian suburbs, with a group of populations of North African origin. And solidarity is perceptible around this Palestinian question from the Arab-Persian Gulf to Morocco.

And in Amsterdam then, what happened?

For Amsterdam, it’s a completely different question, it’s part of the present time. There is a mixture of facts that collide. On the one hand, a premeditated offensive with small groups who attacked Israeli supporters. On the other, an Israeli club where certain groups of supporters are known to be close to the Israeli extreme right.

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There is a context also specific to Israeli football which is too little mentioned, particularly in France. We forget to what extent football in the Middle East is politicized.

Is there support for Israel from far-right supporters in the stands?

No, there is no reversal. The various far-right movements in Europe perceive Netanyahu’s Israel as an ally. They have the same perception of the question of order and a common enemy which is a little vague: the Arab, the Muslim…

This is where there will be a rapprochement. But there are no marked demonstrations with Israel because many of these small groups are themselves anti-Semitic.

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Do leaders’ speeches about “sport neutrality” ultimately encourage this politicization of stadiums?

Yes, sort of. These social questions emerge through the platform. It is actually rather beneficial because it allows political questions and debates to be channeled within the confines of a stadium. When it falls within the legal framework, of course. The irruption around the question of the Parisian tifo is very problematic because it involves creating problems around a tifo. It’s part of the ultra movement and a little tolerance would be good.

This is a completely hysterical debate where everything collides. Between the tifo from the Parisian stand and what happened in Amsterdam, we are not talking about the same facts at all. On the one hand, there is no violence, it is just, ultimately, the highlighting of a very serious subject and of war crimes which should question all societies. On the other hand, we see acts of anti-Semitism which were premeditated and Israeli groups which bring with them a set of problems specific to Israeli society.

The holding of the France-Israel match at the Stade de France is debated. Is the growing pressure around this meeting justified?

Many Gulf companies or people from the Middle East that I meet in the course of my work find that there are double standards between the fate reserved for Russia – an exclusion from the various international sporting institutions and the various international competitions-, and that reserved for Israel, with in particular at the Paris Olympics several Israeli athletes who completely supported what is happening in Gaza. It is this double standard that emerges again for a match, which also does not have major issues from a sporting point of view.

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If a State is condemned by international justice, it should be managed by an objective body independent of all the power issues that play out around sport.

Already, the fact that Israel is attached to UEFA demonstrates a basic problem: the neighboring Arab societies do not wish to play football against the Israelis. And it shows how difficult this state is to fit into the area in which it was born.

Sport is a revealer, a social thermometer but behind it there is real life. This debate around the France-Israel match leads us to completely forget what is happening in the different war theaters of the Middle East. He adds a lot of fuel to the fire but ultimately doesn’t do much. We just have to let the French police and the intelligence services manage all of this.

Historically, what are the positions of FIFA and UEFA on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

The Palestinian Football Federation, like the Palestinian Olympic Committee, was developed by the PLO in the 1970s. They then perceived sport as a means of emancipation and recognition by the international community. And a way to bring to the forefront their struggle for recognition and their armed struggle. Same thing for Israelis. From the 1930s-1940s, they took over sport to gain recognition and ultimately establish themselves as a state.

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Fifa is very little active on this subject. It recognizes the Palestinian state as a football federation. The latter also participated in the last Asian Cup of Nations. Even though many players are suffering from what is happening in Gaza, and several have died.

But, apart from the recognition of the two federations, Fifa, like UEFA, are powerless. We feel to what extent Fifa, like UEFA, have this fear that, if too politicized, sport could damage their commercial purpose.