Argentinean Jewish groups decry cancellation of soccer match in Jerusalem

Argentinian and global Jewish institutions decry the cancellation last week of the friendly match between the national soccer teams of Israel and Argentina, which was slated for Saturday night in Jerusalem.

“The suspension of this friendly match between Argentina and Israel was not even a negotiation with a group of violent extremists. It was a capitulation,” wrote Argentina’s Jewish political umbrella DAIA President Alberto Indij in a letter to the Argentine Football Association. “Unfortunately, not only the opportunity for two friendly countries to offer a show in peace was lost; it also has weakened us profoundly as a nation because it has demonstrated to the whole world that fear can win, without a responsible leadership showing even the slightest resistance.”

The Jewish Argentine Federation for Sports and Social Community Centers, or FACCMA, in a statement said it “strongly condemns the fact that violence and threats defeated fair play and an encounter between cultures.” The federation is the largest member of the Latin American branch of the Maccabi World Union, which has 55 affiliates and a network of 50,000 members. “In our Maccabi spirit we will continue to promote respect and are against violence and hate.”

— JTA