Indy Media Watch

Ireland Indymedia is seething because Ireland is playing Israel in a soccer match. The headline confusingly refers to Zimbabwe and attempts to draw parallels between the furore of England playing Zimbabwe.

Is the FAI in breach of it's own codes by allowing its's national team to play in a Terrorist State. Is it covert acceptance of the oppression and murder of Palestinians and theft of Palestinian land on a daily baisis and the shooting of school-girls in the face, and the bulldozing of houses and farms and an occasional peace activist.

...and run on sentences.

One respondent asks;

If I understand correctly, Ireland are due to play a home international match with China very soon. What protests are planned?

Nothing of course. Israel is the only country on earth which commits human-rights abuse. Didn't you get the memo?

This is followed by examples of other human-rights abusing countries worthy of similar "attention" until someone says no way:

Chechen war is a seperatist war. No comparison

No comparison? Tell that to the schoolchildren of Beslan who now have quite a bit in common with Israeli schoolchildren.

Subsequently, the conversation turns into ideas of how match audience should wave Palestinian flags at the game and an argument over whether or not Israel would censor the images.

I somehow think there might be an oh-so convenient break in the Israeli TV transmission if that happened.
...
let's deal with the facts here. It also happens to have a relatively free press/TV culture.

But who said football matches should be political? Failing that, how about merciless harrassment of players?

a picket of the Israeli team's hotel - follow them around and shame them, that's the sort of thing that's needed

Ultimately, this shuts them all up:

You poor losers, the best player for Israel is an Arab...the best football team in Israel is predominantly Arabic.
We played Iran twice recently - you cant even phone Israel from Iran!
Please do protest as visibily as possible - you will be remembered in later years if you ever want to be taken seriously for something, an you will most likely be ashamed of yourself within five years

Harrassing players and hijacking a sporting event? Five minutes if you ask me...