"Israel has been chosen to host the next UEFA U21 Football Championship.
Hosting an international sporting competiton is an honour which should not be given to a country that defies international law and bars Palestinians from taking part in international sporting competitions.
Below is the open letter from the PSC to the President of UEFA, Michel Platini.
We urge you to also write to Mr. Platini, for UEFA to reverse their decision. Click here to use the PSC's easy to use e-tool.
Dear Michel Platini,
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) urges the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) not to hold the UEFA U21 Championship 2013 in Israel.
In October 2010 not only did UEFA renew its commitment to anti-racism, you Mr. Platini, earned international recognition, when stating that "We accepted them in Europe and furnished them with the conditions for membership and they must respect the letter of the laws and international regulations otherwise there is no justification for them to remain in Europe....Israel must choose between allowing Palestinian sport to continue and prosper or be forced to face the consequences for their behaviour." Since this time the actions of Israel have not changed, therefore the global Palestine solidarity movement is baffled, that despite your previous stance, you are now rewarding Israel's atrocities by granting them the privileged of hosting the U21 championship.
The Palestinian people have experienced decades of military occupation. Israel operates an entrenched system of racial Apartheid against its own non-Jewish inhabitants and is illegally occupying Palestinian land in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. It has sought to further annex these lands and has systematically transferred its own civilian population into these occupied territories. Israel's occupation is illegal under international law, including UN Resolution 242 which demands Israel's withdrawal from the occupied territories. Additionally, UN Resolution 446 clearly states that the settlements ‘have no legal validity, and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East'. It is also the European Union's common position that Israel's settlements and occupation are illegal.
Your decision to allow Israel to host the U21 championship is extremely damaging. It sends the message that UEFA has no issue with the illegal and discriminatory treatment of Israel towards the Palestinian people. As an inclusive and anti-racist organization surely UEFA should take a stand instead of being complicit in Israel's actions."
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