The furore surrounding the upcoming friendly match between South Africa's Orlando Pirates and Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv continues to build, with the South African Friends of Israel (SAFI) throwing their support of the match.
The match, set to take place in Spain today, has been a subject of debate due to the call from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Coalition (BDS) for Pirates to pull out, citing Israel's alleged human rights abuses in Palestine.
In a statement, Bafana Modise, the spokesperson for SAFI said: "This momentous occasion is a cause for celebration. It shows that unity can overcome the hate and racism caused by a local anti-Semitic organisation that failed to boot South Africa out of the international fixture this week."
Modise praised Orlando Pirates for their resolve, saying, "The South African Friends of Israel would like to congratulate the Orlando Pirates for standing firm against the external pressure, and for showing the positive role that sport can play in bringing people of diverse backgrounds together“.
The BDS movement argues that playing a match against an Israeli team would be tantamount to "sports washing" Israel's human rights record. Sports washing is the practice of using sports to improve the image of a country or organisation that is accused of human rights abuses. The BDS movement argues that by playing a match against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Orlando Pirates would be helping to legitimise Israel's occupation and human rights abuses.
Orlando Pirates has so far refused to withdraw from the match. The club has said that it is not political and that its decision to play the match is based on sporting considerations. However, the BDS movement has said that Orlando Pirates' decision to play the match is "morally wrong" and that it will damage the club's reputation.
Modise believes the game would transcend the negativity perpetuated by BDS. He criticised the movement, accusing it of dividing South Africans over the issue of Israel and of attempting to dehumanise Israelis and Jews.
"Today, this soccer match will transcend and overcome the negativity and hurt caused by the racist BDS movement," Modise stated.
He continued, criticising the BDS for its influence on ANC's foreign policy and emphasised the multicultural and democratic nature of Israeli society. "Israel is a multicultural and democratic society in which the rights of all citizens are protected, respected and upheld, be they Christian, Muslim, Jewish or Druze. She remains the only democracy in the Middle East," Modise said.
Modise called for continued cooperation between South Africans and Israelis, saying, "To deny close cooperation between Israelis and South Africans - be it in sport or government infrastructure - does not serve South Africans. Let us commit to protecting all further engagements in future, from the hateful and divisive rhetoric of racist movements in our country."
Given South Africa’s apartheid past, political observers say the match raises a number of important questions, such as is it right for a sports team to refuse to play a match against an opponent from a country that is accused of human rights abuses? Does playing a match against an Israeli team amount to "sports washing"? What is the role of sports in promoting human rights?
The debate over Orlando Pirates' decision to play the match is a reminder of the power of sports to raise awareness of important political issues.
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