Palestinian soccer unity match shelved

A football match scheduled today that had been seen as a symbolic step towards Palestinian unity has been postponed indefinitely over a dispute with Israeli officials, the Palestinian Football Association said.

Following Thursday’s goalless draw in Gaza between Al-Ahli from the West Bank city of Hebron and Gaza’s Shejaiya — their first match in 15 years — a second leg was planned for today in Hebron.

Israel asked four of Shejaiya’s 37-member delegation to submit to security interviews as a condition of leaving the territory.

The Palestinian Football Association, chaired by former West Bank security chief Jibril Rajoub, and Shejaiya club categorically refused.

“Four of the players needed to pass a preliminary inquiry and for this purpose, their crossing was coordinated for yesterday. Rajoub canceled,” said a statement from COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry unit that coordinates with Gaza.

“Following the first cancellation, the crossing was coordinated once again for today,” it added. “In the morning they cancelled the crossing again.”

Rajoub accused the Israeli security services of “a personally directed attack” against him.

Israeli authorities “told us that four players could not go out for security reasons, and they wanted to question them”, he said.

The two sides are in touch in the hope that the match can take place in the next few days, Rajoub said, but added that his association would not agree to security checks for players.

— AFP