Issam
Khalidi
In the aftermath of the Six-Day War in June
1967, the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza Strip found themselves severed
from the rest of the Arab World and under direct Israeli Control. The rapid
occupation of these areas by the Israeli army initially put the residents into
a state of shock. [1] In
the newly occupied territories Israel suddenly controlled an additional one
million Palestinians in addition to its four hundred thousand Palestinian
citizens. This marked the beginning of important structural changes in
Palestinian society under occupation.[2]
The June 1967 war was a major watershed in the
history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It unleashed another wave of Palestinian
refugees, some of whom became refugees for the second time. But at the same
time it gave a powerful boost to the PLO in the struggle against Israeli
occupation. By the end of the war, Israel had captured the Sinai peninsula from
Egypt, the Golan Height from Syria, and the West Bank from Jordan. [3] While the communities of exiles, scattered through the
countries of the Middle East, formed the foundation of the new Palestinism, the
1967 war returned the focus to the reunited territory of the old Palestine
mandate. Israel's overwhelming victory produced not only another wave of
refugees but also the rise of a new outside leadership and the creation of a
civil society within the occupied territories. The PLO outsiders and insiders
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip cooperated and contended, struggling over the
image of the Palestinians' future, all within the context of the Palestinian
consciousness created in the refugee camps in the decades following al-Nakba
[or
catastrophe]. [4]Seeming
at first to represent only further displacement and defeat, the 1967 war in
fact inaugurated a period of national reintegration and institutional renewal,
along with the daily burdens of Israeli occupation. The intervening years
marked a certain limbo. The Palestinians were severed from the old foundations
of society and politics, scarred by exile, and still stunned by the fate that
had befallen them. The leaders and formal groups characterized the post-1967
era had not yet appeared on the scene. It was the moment in Palestinian history
most bereft of hope.[5]
"Since the establishment of the
Jewish state, Israel has carried out not only confiscation of Palestinian land,
the source of our physical existence, but also confiscation of our culture,
constituting the spiritual source of our life.
Culture is our roots; a vital and essential side of the integrity of
every people. Without it, we are
deprived of our common identity as a national community. What the Israeli authorities object to, in
fact, is the very concept of Palestine and, therefore, any form of expression
of such a concept," wrote Hallaj.[6]
The
primary symbols of Palestinian nationhood are, of course, the word “Palestine”
and the Palestinian flag. The objection
is not only to the context within which the word “Palestine” is used, but also
to its symbolism. For that reason, the
word itself, even when it stands alone, is considered offensive by the Israeli
authorities.[7]
Sport as a cultural element, and a tool for
social integration and identity formation was and still subjected to
confiscation because of its potent force within society. It is
impossible to fully understand contemporary society and culture without
acknowledging the place of sport. [8]
Sport has an impact on shaping social and national consciousness. It does not
exist in a value-free, neutral social, cultural or political context but is
influenced by all of these contexts. [9]During the post 1967 period, social-athletic clubs
were centers for social, athletic, cultural, intellectual and partisanship
activities; their constant efforts were a magnificent means for shaping the
personality of the younger generation.
At that time it was required from the youth to be strong. Clubs constituted fortifications for the
struggle against the Israeli occupation; they made huge contributions towards
strengthening youth cohesion. At that
period, sports went parallel with other activities (cultural and social) and
sometimes interfered with them.
Activities such as cultural, social and athletic, in many cases, were
interwoven so tightly that it was hard to separate them. The main reason behind this phenomenon was
the nature of the clubs, which were characterized as
social-cultural-athletic. Each of these
aspects helped in promoting the other.
Many members practiced more than one activity at the same time; every
club had few committees, such as cultural, social, and athletic. Also, every club had his own football,
basketball or sometimes boxing and wrestling teams. Many
football (and other sports) matches ended with demonstrations against the
occupation. Many of these matches were
interrupted with chants and songs demanding the liberation of the Palestinian
lands from the oppressor. These matches represented a national celebration among
the Palestinian people.
Despite
the demographic changes by the war, Palestinian society maintained significant
aspect of its structure after occupation. [10]The
relationship between exterior and interior in the Palestinian national movement
began taking on a structure beyond limited symbolic and sentimental ventures.
An examination of the mechanisms used to advance each of these spheres will
help us understand attempts to coordinate between them. These mechanisms took
different forms and centered on the following three goals. The first was to
deepen national sentiment among the population and to emphasize the unity of
Palestinian identity. The second form of activity used to correlate between
exterior and interior was the blocking of Israel's attempts to foster the rise
of local leadership in the occupied territories that might challenge or replace
the PLO's comprehensive representational claims. The Third form of correlative
action between interior and exterior in the Palestinian national movement took
shape as a more solid structure. [11]
Most
of the clubs were affiliated with religious dominations, such as Orthodox, Catholic,
and Moslem, while others were affiliated with political and national factions,
such as Fatah, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine PFLP and
Democratic FLP.As humiliating as the 1967 war had been for the
Arabs, it gave Fatah new opportunities in two areas. First, the humiliation
quieted the gales of Nasserite pan-Arabism. Second, by reuniting the
Palestinian majority--this time under Israeli occupation--the war made it much
easier for Fatah to penetrate Palestinian society. [12]
The
leaders at the Arab summit in Baghdad(November 1978) committed $ 250 million to
the PLO, $1.25 billion to Jordan, and a further $150 million to support the
steadfastness of the Palestinian population in the occupied territories. By the
end of November 1978 the PLO and Jordan had agreed to establish a joint
committee to distribute the money in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. [13]The
committee's aid to the educational system was not uniform. Institutions,
movements, and personalities that were loyal to the Fatah elite in exile were
better supported than others. With the differential allocation of resources the
committee attempted to influence the ability of the different institutions and
movements to mobilize support among the population. [14]Also,
some social-athletic clubs that were linked to Fatah had the lion share and
were better supported than others.
The post-1967 period was characterized by a
lack of governmental institutions, such as a department or ministry of youth
and sport, sports associations (federations).
These institutions are the basic factor behind the growth of sports in
any country. However, this did not
prevent the development of sports. As Migdal and
Kimmerling pointed out that absence of a state may have played into the hands of
the making of the Palestinian people in another way as well. Because they
lacked a central authority, they developed a vibrant civil society,
particularly in the 1970's and 1980's in the occupied territories. This civil
society consisted of new, voluntary and service organizations, which breathed
life into a sense of Palestinism. In an
odd twist of fate, it was only during the rule of the Palestine Authority
itself that the civil society, weaned in the difficult conditions of
occupation, crumbled. [15] By
the end of the 1980s, these organizations of civil society employed
20,000-30,000 workers. In the absence of a state, the new Palestinian elite had
cultivated alternate mechanisms in civil society. Without tax revenues, their
organizations depended, in large part, on foreign sources. [16] This
said, it remains the case that the forces acting on the West Bank population
had created a unique people, doggedly attached to the Palestine they now
inhabited as well as the Palestine their memories. [17]
Sports games (especially in football and basketball)
continued after 1967 among the clubs in the West Bank and Gaza Sector. These games were friendly and sustained the
links between the Palestinian people as well as villages and cities. They also helped in preserving the daily life
of Palestinian youth. In the West Bank
and Gaza Sector, almost every city and village had a social athletic club. Most of these clubs adopted sports as part of
their traditions. Sports became a
standard for their success. At that
time, it was hard to find a club that did not include sports(especially
football) as the main part of its activities. Most of the members of these
clubs started playing football on the streets, so when they entered these
clubs, they had some skills that qualified them to play in the clubs’
teams. Also, being a member of this or
that club gave the youth self-confidence, self-esteem, and more respect from
the club members and the community. The clubs depended entirely on the
dedication and selflessness of their members. Their source of funding was based
on fundraising events, and on donations by social dignitaries in cities and
villages.
It is obvious that, despite the harsh measurements
taken by the occupation to hinder the cultural progress in the West Bank and
Gaza Strip, and besides the lack of state institutions, social clubs continued
to be found in every city and village.
The growth of sports was linked proportionally to the increase in the
number of clubs. In 1974 Gaza Sports Club was re-established (Nadi Gaza
al-Riyadi) - established in 1934. It
became one of the best football teams at that time. The re-establishment came after an initiative
by Abd al-Karim Shawwa, Ibrahim Oweda, Salim Sharfa and Said al-Huseini,
presented to the mayor of Gaza Rashad Shawwa.
In addition, in Jericho Nadi Hilal Ariha (established in 1974), which
later became one of the best in the West Bank.
In 1976, in al-Bireh (near Ramallah) two organizations – Majmou’at
al-Bireh (established 1964) and Nadi al-Bireh al-Riyadi merged together to form
Mu’assasat Shabab al-Bireh.
YMCA
As a result of the war and the subsequent
Israeli occupation in 1967 (in addition to the absence of national
leadership, the lack of international support, and the desperate situation of
youth), a sort of “sports Intifada” erupted through individual initiatives by
some clubs and associations led by the East Jerusalem YMCA, which assumed the
role of ministry of youth and sports for a time and became the meeting place
for the West Bank Federation and other sports institutions. We could say that
Palestinian sports experienced its golden era between 1968 and the late 1980s.[18]
After 1967, the YMCA opened its facilities
to the community at large to assist them in overcoming their frustration with
the realities of an ugly occupation and to protect youth from the dangers of
unstructured and unsupervised free time.
In fact, the YMCA took on the role of a national ministry for youth and
sports.[19]
During the seventies and eighties, the YMCA
sports programs and activities were at their peak. Palestinian sports representatives and
football fans remember the old good days when the EJ-YMCA hosted the first
international football games: the EPA football team from Cyprus in 1969 and
again in 1970, Quincy University football team in 1971, the British Airways
football team in 1972, and Western Illinois University football team in 1973.[20] In addition to the international sports
competitions, the YMCA hosted many tournaments and championships in various
sports, but the Ramadan Championships were unique. Players from various Palestinian regions got
together after the iftar [breakfast after fasting] to socialize, pray at
the Dome of the Rock, or to play in various sports competitions. Hundreds of fans and spectators from
Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Hebron gathered to enjoy evenings
of sports and friendship in Jerusalem, their holy city.[21]
The YMCA also organized the Sudasyyat (6
players including the goal keeper) and Silwan Sports Club, YMCA, Shabab Gaza,
Nadi al-Khalil, Markaz Tulkarm, Shabab Rafah, Orthodox Bethlehem, Majmoo’a Shabab
al-Bireh, Al-Arabi Beit Safafa, Shabab Ariha, Hittin, Balata, Hilal al-Quds.[22]
The story of Palestine’s golden era of
sports would be incomplete without mentioning the people who were behind these
achievements, such as the late Labib Nasser, the Secretary General of the YMCA,
who had a vision for youth and sports.
He always followed the activities from his office, which overlooked the
St. George’s fields and playground. It
is said that Labib once told a member who were complaining about the noise
caused by the children of the YMCA: “This noise is music for me, and I enjoy
it!” Other significant figures of this
era include the late Majed Asaad of Al Bireh Club, Ahmad Adileh of Silwan,
Khalil El Husseini of Jericho, Rimon Zabaneh, Nadi Khoury, Toni Abboud, and many
others.[23]
At that time, St. George’s playing field was the site of these sports events, despite its sorry condition. It was a real pity that nothing was done to rehabilitate this field, which was considered the only lung for the sports body in Jerusalem. [24] Players were recruited and taken care of by Mr. Rimon N. Zabaneh (Abu Tareq), the physical director, who, with the Sports Committee and many qualified staff and volunteers, who supervised, trained, and coached different age groups and teams in football, basketball, volleyball, handball, and table tennis. [25]
At that time, St. George’s playing field was the site of these sports events, despite its sorry condition. It was a real pity that nothing was done to rehabilitate this field, which was considered the only lung for the sports body in Jerusalem. [24] Players were recruited and taken care of by Mr. Rimon N. Zabaneh (Abu Tareq), the physical director, who, with the Sports Committee and many qualified staff and volunteers, who supervised, trained, and coached different age groups and teams in football, basketball, volleyball, handball, and table tennis. [25]
Institutionalization
of sports
The sport activist Al-Ansari pointed out that after
1967 there was no authority that supervised the clubs and the athletic
activities in the West Bank. The
coordination between clubs, referees and players depended on personal
communications among them. These
communications were not based on strong administrative organizational bases,
and were not free from personal conflicts.
In 1969, the Association of Arab Clubs was established; it took the
Group of al-Bireh (club) [Majmooa’t al-Bireh] as its headquarters. It organized the first tournament in the West
Bank. However, it was suspended by the Israeli occupation in 1971.[26]
The North
In 1969, Nablus Municipality urged the athletes of the
city to be organized and to be involved in social-cultural activities. Later, a preparatory committee was formed for
the city’s athletes clubs. It set up a
tournament in football for the following clubs: NadiHittin, al-Ittihad
al-Riyadi, NadiIbal, Markaz Balata, Markaz al-Thaqafi, Ittihad al-Naqabat,
ShababAskar, Shabab al-Sikka, and MarkazRaqam (1) [Center Number One]. In Nablus, a selected team was also formed;
it was a perfect step toward the progress of sports and football in this
city. At that time, sports events
between the teams of Nablus and the rest of the West Bank started. However, the results of these Nablus teams
were very weak, so their leadership started to think about forming selected
teams that could bring good results for the city. [27]
In Tulkarim
(North West of Nablus), the city’s biggest club, Markaz Tulkarim [Center of
Tulkarim], was closed directly after the 1967 war. The Majority of its players played with other
clubs in other cities. In 1970, the club
was opened and they started to compete with the other teams in Nablus and in
the West Bank. In the first half of the
1970’s, few clubs were established in the Tulkarim region, such as the
following: Thaqafi Tulkarim, Nadi Qalqilia, Nadi Jayyoos in Jayyooss, Noor Shams
in Noor Shams Camp, and Nadi Salfit.
Later, two committees of supervision were established in Nablus and
Tulkarim. In 1978, a session was held
between these two committees to establish a coordination committee which supervised
and organized athletic activities and tournaments in these two regions.[28]
The South
Ya’qub al-Ansari, in his book The Clubs League: How,
When Was Established?! (Rabitat
al-Andiya, Kaifa, Mata Ta’assasat), states that:
In September 25th 1975 we the
referees Muhammad al-Muhder, Ya’qub al-Ansari, Ahmad al-Naji, George Qassis,
Odeh Bishara, Muhammed Abdel Bari, Muhammed al-Samhuri, Nadi Khouri
reviewed the issues of refereeing, we found that the lack of an association is
causing problems to us, so we decided to found an association. At that meeting
we formed the Association of Referees.[29]
Which paved the way for the Association of Athletic Clubs. He confirms that the Association of Athletic Clubs Rabitat
al-Andiyyah al-Riyadiyya originally was established in November 30th 1975. [30]Later, in 1980 it included the clubs of the north. He
refutes the claims that al-Rabita was established in 1980.[31]
Gaza Sector
In 1978 the
Association of Clubs Rabitat al-Andiya was established in Gaza
Sector. The idea was initiated by the
Gaza Sports club. It was later supported
by Khadamat ash-Shate’, Rafah Youth Club, Breij Services Club, Rafah Services
Club, Nseirat Services Club and Khan Yunis Services Club. The first President of this association was
the athletic activist Subhi Farah (then Vice President of Gaza Sports Club). Other Presidents of this association were
Ibrahim Eweida from Gaza Sport Club and Muammar Biseso from Gaza Sport
Club. Among the founders of this league
were Ali Mahdi from Shabab Rafah, Lutfi Sibakhi from Khan Yunis Services Club,
Darwish Houli from Rafah Services Club and Walid Ayyub from Shate’ Services Club
and Jawdat Judeh from Khadamat al Breij.
Later two other clubs joined the association: Ahli Palestine Club and
Shaja’iyya Union.[32]
The first official match between the teams in the West
Bank and Gaza was in the early seventies on al-Yarmouk Staduim in Gaza. The match was between a selected team from
Jerusalem and a selected team from Gaza, which ended with a tie. The bridging of the ties between the West
Bank and Gaza was initiated by Ibrahim Mughrabi, Mohammed Ghayyada, Said
al-Husaini and others. This match marked
the beginning of moving football beyond the borders; it symbolized the start of
coordination between the West Bank and Gaza Sector. It was followed with numerous of matches
between clubs from both sides.
Sports activities and events were held
regularly and frequently everywhere - not only football but other sports
as well. Spontaneous friendly matches
and championship matches and all sorts of competitions took place between teams
throughout the Palestinian territories.
Exchange of match visits between clubs and teams of various cities,
including those in the Gaza Strip, were daily happenings. Sports fever was the “password” among the
young generation. Football teams from
abroad often visited, and matches were organized regularly.[33]
Some clubs imported coaches and trainers who led training courses. Visiting teams often tried to attract some of their players, and a number of them did actually go to the United States. Some remained abroad to study and play for various teams, and others returned. In spite of the limited support and lack of real training and coaching, there were talented players who played extraordinary football.
The sport journalist Wassef Daher describes that period as, “I do not exaggerate when I say that watching Musa Al Toubassi and Hatem Salah, the magnificent players, was a great joy to us all. A few players, however, were not as fortunate as others. They did not have the chance to be chosen by foreign scouts and play abroad. The talent was born and buried here, and deprived of the right to become famous, which could have been advantageous not only for the players themselves but for Palestine as well.”[34]
Some clubs imported coaches and trainers who led training courses. Visiting teams often tried to attract some of their players, and a number of them did actually go to the United States. Some remained abroad to study and play for various teams, and others returned. In spite of the limited support and lack of real training and coaching, there were talented players who played extraordinary football.
The sport journalist Wassef Daher describes that period as, “I do not exaggerate when I say that watching Musa Al Toubassi and Hatem Salah, the magnificent players, was a great joy to us all. A few players, however, were not as fortunate as others. They did not have the chance to be chosen by foreign scouts and play abroad. The talent was born and buried here, and deprived of the right to become famous, which could have been advantageous not only for the players themselves but for Palestine as well.”[34]
The
achievements of al-Rabita 1980 - 1987:
After
the affiliation of the clubs of the north cities in the Rabita, the quality of
performance improved rapidly. This
Rabita began functioning as a Ministry of Sports; it took different
responsibilities and duties. One of its
main responsibilities was the mobilization of all the efforts for the
advancement of sports and welfare of young men.
Its main functions were organizing and supervising the tournaments and
competitions in the West Bank. The
Rabita built a system which was based on national, social, and organizational
principles. It had no links to government
departments and was free from corrupted bureaucracy. Most of its work was based on a volunteering
system; the leaders of the clubs and al-Rabita activists desirably gave their
efforts and time for free.
Football as a traditional game took the
lion’s share from other games, such as basketball, handball, volleyball,
boxing, and others. Al-Rabita was
responsible for promoting and developing sports. Mainly, football was played in clubs which
were considered the main field for bringing up good players. The tournaments that were organized by
al-Rabita were subordinate to international standards and far from intolerance,
tribalism, and partisanship. At that
time, sports was free from impurities.
Many clubs began accepting defeat as a normal process. In other words, sports had reached a high
level based on national awareness and patriotic sentiments.
In 1980, al-Rabita started to organize
the preliminary round which ended in the classified tournament in 1981/1982; it
classified the teams to five levels: Premier league -12 clubs. First league -15.
Second league -12.Third league - 11.Fourth league - 6.[35] Al-Rabita
also set up a tournament for all levels.
The winners were: Markaz Tulkarim - premier league, Nadi Shabab al-Khalil
– second league, third league - O'dd (Return) Sport Club, fourth league - Sur
Bahir Club (a village near Jerusalem).[36]
Competitions
with other teams outside the West Bank
In August 1980, the club of Hanover
(Germany) was hosted by Silwan Sport Club, and the match ended with a final
score of 3:2, in favor of Hanover. In
1985, the team of French Unions Federation visited the West Bank and played
against Hittin Club and won 2:0. It also
played against Hilal al-Quds and won 2:0. In 1981, the YMCA’s football team
traveled to Jordan and competed against the Orthodox club in Amman; the YMCA
won 3:1. It also competed with the team
of Wihdat Club and was defeated 0:1. In
May 1983, Hilal al- Quds matched the Wihdat on Amman Stadium; Hilal lost 3:0.
In May 1983, the YMCA football team matched the Faisali in Amman and lost 0:1,
and met with Wihdat and lost 3:0. In April 1984, the team of Shabab al-Khalil
left for France (through Jordan) it played with St. Etan Club; Shabab al-Khalil
lost 1:0. Also, the Hebron defeated
Annecy (city in France) team with a score of 5:0. In April 1985, Shabab al-Khalil played with
Wihdat on Amman Stadium; Wihdat won 1:0.
Also it played with Ramtha Club and lost 2:1.
In
September 1986, a meeting was held between the members of al-Rabita and
the delegation of the French Union Federation.
A protocol was signed by Majed As’ad from al-Rabita and Rene
Mustard from the Federation; both sides celebrated this occasion.
Later, primary communications and
discussions were held between the Palestinian al-Rabita and the Italian
federation, but no protocols or agreements were signed until 1989. At the same
time, a winning agreement was held between the local clubs and French Clubs
such as De La Salle of Jerusalem and Cosma, Al-Khalil and Venice, and Orthodox
of Beit Jala and De Porte Pau.
In March 1984, the first athletic meeting
was held between al-Rabita of the West Bank and Gaza. In this meeting, they agreed to organize two
matches for the selected teams of these two associations, the first in Gaza,
and the second in Jerusalem. The first Match was held on Yarmouk field in March
1984. The West Bank selected
team won this match 2:1.
Other
sports and spheres
In
November 1978, the Supreme Council of Youth Care (affiliated with PLO)
re-established the Palestine Basketball Association. It chose Dr. George
Rishmawi as its honorary president. Its headquarters were located in Gaza.
Later, it was moved to Damascus.[37]
Since 1966 YMCA organized a tournament for basketball (Sa'iqa). This
tournament re-started in 1969 until 1980. Rimon Zabahe, head of the athletic
section at YMCA was the head of the basketball committee of Rabitat al-Andiya.
The competition in basketball has always been between YMCA and the al-Ittihad
SC in Nablus. [38]In 1984, the
YMCA basketball team left to Amman and competed with the Orthodox Club there.
In 1985, the Rabita organized the first championship in basketball where 34 teams
took part. Al-A’mal al-Katoliki
(Catholic Labor) became the champion. The second championship was held in 1986
where 20 teams took part. Salezian of Bethlehem was the winner defeating
Markaz Shabab Balata. Also, al-Rabita conducted a tournament in order to
classify clubs into divisions.
In 1987 al-Rabita
also organized tournaments in volleyball where 11 clubs took part. Tal Club defeated Azzon 2 to nil and won the
cup.
Table tennis
took place in al-Rabita's activities. The first single championship was
held in 1984 when 99 players (members of 26 clubs) took part. Hanna Ardakian
(YMCA) won the cup. Ahmed al-Minawi (Ibal) in the second place, and Aiman Tuqan
in the third place. The second single championship was held in 1985. Fifty-five
players took part. Hanna Ardakian (YMCA) was in the first place defeating Ahmad
Minawi (Ibal). The third championship was held in 1986 when 76 players took
part. Seleh Kana'n (Islamic SC of Bethlehem) defeated Aham Minawi, while Hanna
Ardakian got the fourth place.[39]
In 1973 universities and institutes organized the
first sports day where students from Birzeit College (at that time it was still
college), Najah and Teachers Institute in Ramallah took part. They competed in
100m, 400m, 1500m, 4x100 relay, long and high jump, shot put and discus. In 1978, the first tournament for colleges
was launched, three major universities and institutes - Birzeit, al-Najah,
Bethlehem, Teachers (men's) College in Ramallah, and Teachers (girls') College
in Tireh Ramallah - in the West Bank took part.
The universities and institutes organized annual
championships for football, volleyball, handball, table tennis, and cross country.
Since 1973, he
General Federation of Trade Unions GFTU organized the Tournament of May 1st (Dawri
al-Awal min Ayyar) in football, table tennis, basketball, volleyball, handball, and cycling. [40]UNRWA organized tournaments for its 13 social youth
centers in the West Bank, the first
tournament was held in 1969. These competitions were not held annually on a
regular basis.[41]
Boxing at that time had its own association Ittihad
al-Mulakama. Khalil Zahdeh was the first boxer from the West Bank to win
the bronze medal at the Pan Arab Games in 1987. [42]In
December 1986 and January 1987, a meeting was held between the Palestinian and
Jordanian boxers in Amman Jordan where Palestinians got three golden and four
silver medals. [43]
Intifada
The
committees [which were founded by al-Shabiba- Fatah and functioned
through late 1970s and 1980s) tried to break down the barriers between the
village and the city as well as those that prevented the flow of contacts
between villages. For this purpose, they organized cultural, social, political, and sporting activities that brought
people from the villages and the cities together. Doctors and academics were
invited to lecture in the villages, and sports clubs were organized in an
attempt to extend the scope of contacts between villages and cities. These
gathering included cultural activities aimed at raising the socio-political awareness of the people in the
villages and bringing them into a broader socio-national
web. [44]
The sports honeymoon came to an end in the
late eighties, and the situation took a 180-degree turn in the wake of the
confrontation between the Palestinians and the Israeli occupation. One of the first things
the United National Leadership (UNL) did was issue a fourteen-point programme
which accepted the overall leadership of the PLO and asked for adherence to
United Nations resolutions and the right of self-determination. In addition,
the leadership asked local people holding jobs in the Israeli occupation apparatus to resign, called for strikes and
for businesses to close, and issued specific instruction to the children
ranging from how to throw stones to what to say under interrogation. [45]
Roadblocks,
closures, checkpoints, curfews, and all sorts of restrictions put an end to the
movements of the teams between cities and even between different places within
each city! Gaza was severely affected
and sports received a big blow. [46] Young people and children were deprived of
their normal rights to recreation and play.
Loss of regular contact and competition had a negative impact on the
development and improvement of sports, in general, and on sports activities, in
particular - whether locally or internationally. The Palestinian flag was never raised, medals
were not won, and the national anthem was never heard at any of the Olympic
Games or other international competitions.[47]
At the same time, closing the clubs and suspending the football games was considered an egregious mistake committed by the Unified National Leadership of the Uprising (UNLU) at that time. In addition to its national and social importance, football, as well as other games, constituted the ideal means for maintaining good health for the citizens. The situations at that time required the leadership to maintain engagement with the citizens in football and other games. Besides the occupation, the blame has to be put on the national movement, which was not fully aware of the importance of sports and its potent power in improving many life spheres. It might be more nationalistic if the athletic clubs stayed open to their members, so they could maintain their physical abilities and skills.
At the same time, closing the clubs and suspending the football games was considered an egregious mistake committed by the Unified National Leadership of the Uprising (UNLU) at that time. In addition to its national and social importance, football, as well as other games, constituted the ideal means for maintaining good health for the citizens. The situations at that time required the leadership to maintain engagement with the citizens in football and other games. Besides the occupation, the blame has to be put on the national movement, which was not fully aware of the importance of sports and its potent power in improving many life spheres. It might be more nationalistic if the athletic clubs stayed open to their members, so they could maintain their physical abilities and skills.
Of course, this decision was taken by UNLU at
that time; it was the head of the Palestinian resistance against the
occupation. Unfortunately, the suspension of the athletic activities, and the
closure of the clubs had a negative
effect on the youth, and football, at the same time. No one can ignore the role of the youth in
the Intifada, who used evasive methods during their confrontation against the
occupational forces. Their physical
preparation was formed during the period before the Intifada and had a great impact in this confrontation. Therefore, closing the clubs and suspending
the activities, including football, led to the weakening of the physical
abilities, skills, and preparation of the
youth. Many of them dealt with the lack
of physical activity by smoking and spending time at home playing cards. This suspension also led to weakening the
link between the youth, as well as between villages and cities. Keeping the clubs opened was supposed to be
an urgent issue to keep the youth in an acceptable physical condition. Therefore, the closure was not a patriotic
act; it contradicted one of the essential demands in front of the Palestinian
people at that time - which is strong-healthy citizen. Unfortunately, UNLU did
not take this issue into consideration.
However, despite the closure, many young men and women went to the
streets to express their rejection of the occupation.
The
re-establishment of al-Rabita
After
the initial breakout of the Intifada, al-Rabita was suspended
spontaneously until the end of 1991. On
the 16th of January, 1992, the league was re-established when
twenty-two club representatives of the West Bank clubs attended a meeting. In this meeting, they decided to bring back
all the athletic committees that were registered members of al-Rabita
before December 9th, 1987 (the Intifada broke out in the end of
November 1987). Al-Rabita asked
these committees to pay their fees, which were not paid for the years 1988 -
1991.
In 1994, al-Rabita included eight
regions: Jerusalem (headed by Bassam al-Kilani), Hebron (Rajab Shahin),
Bethlehem (George Qassis), Jericho (Khalil al-Huseini), Ramallah
(Daoudal-Mitwalli), Tulkarim (Shawkat Labbada), Jenin (Farouq Yunis). Al-Rabita also included the Committee of Public
Competitions and the Referee Committee.
The Referee Committee included 15 referees for the first league, 23
referees for the second league, and 67 for the third league. Also, there was a committee for testing the
referees which consisted of HuniYunis, RasimYunis, I’rsan Ibrahim, Ahmad al-
Naji, and Rimon Zabaneh.
Al-Rabita,
represented by its members, took part in the conference held by the French
Federation in 1994. The delegation
included Majed As’ad (Secretary of the League), Irsan Ibrahim, Mohammad al-Nadi,
Hmaidan Maragha, and George Ghattas. The
delegation had the opportunity to meet other delegations, such as the
delegation of Swedish workers and South Africa, after the collapse of the
apartheid regime. The delegation also
planned to have football matches in late 1995 in Gutenberg, Sweden, Johannesburg,
South Africa, and Beit Sahour, Palestine.
At the same time, the delegation established connections with the
Russian delegation. These connections
were based on exchanging sports visits and Russian support for the Palestinian
football teams. The delegation visited
the French club, Drancy, and signed a twinning agreement with it.
Al-Rabita
depended totally on itself financially.
The clubs’ fees and match incomes were the main source for sustaining
the existence of the league, which at the same time suffered from financial
scarcity. Al-Rabita was waiting
and hoping that the Ministry of Youth and Sports would provide financial help.
It feared that financial crisis would have a negative effect on its activities.
Despite the harsh conditions, many
administrators and athletes consider the period of 1967 - late 1980s as the
golden age,or as many describe it as the Sports
of the Good Time (Riyadat al-zaman al-Jamil). However, there is no scientific evidence that
proves which period was the best, the post-1967
or 1994. Also, it is not known what
criteria had been used to determine whether or not this period was better than
the other. In
1982, the number of clubs that were members of the Rabita were 61. At the end
of 1987 this number reached 138. [48]
Media
This period witnessed intensification in
the athletic media. Three newspapers
were the leaders in this field: al-Quds
[Jerusalem] (established in 1951) al-Fajr
(Dawn) established in 1972, and al-Sha’b. At the time, the local newspapers carried
hardly any sports news or articles. In
1969, however, this reality changed thanks to the late Mahmud Abu el-Zuluf, the
chief editor of Al Quds newspaper, who determined that journalism could
help sports and vice versa. Wassef Daher wrote (of that time period):
After I had written
a number of articles in Al Quds, he asked me to take charge of a daily sports
column, which has since been expanded to four full pages. All other newspapers and local magazines
followed in the footsteps of Al Quds, and sports became an integral part of
their publications. The impact on both
sports and journalism was tangible.[49]
Conclusion
Al-Rabita was though, an alternative to the Palestine Football Association, which could not exist in the West Bank and Sector Gaza. It represented a success in challenging the Israeli occupation at that time. According to its policy, sport was a way in which the Palestinians could raise their voices, their name, and their flag. It had been agreed that sports would witness a noticeable growth at that point. Al-Rabita also functioned as a federation for different sports (football, basketball, volleyball and table tennis); it brought all the clubs together and sustained the links between the West Bank and Gaza Sector. It is worth mentioning that al-Rabita took its legitimacy from the wide fundament of the people and athletes in the West Bank and Gaza Sector.
The West Bank and Gazan strands of Palestinian culture only began to reconnect after the 1967 war, in the unexpected environment of a Jewish state. [50] After 1967, sports could bring the West Bank and Gaza Sector together, it helped in uniting the Palestinian people together especially cities and villages. Although the biggest obstacle in the development of sports in the West Bank and Gaza Sector was the occupation, the period of 1967 - 1994 witnessed a significant growth in sports compared to that in other Arab countries. Of course, this progress is attributed to the social-athletic clubs, Rabitat al-Andiya and the efforts which were made by the sports leadership in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Al-Rabita was an umbrella that brought all clubs in the West Bank together. Actually, it functioned as a Ministry of Sports. As a nongovernmental institution al-Rabita proved to work and achieve good results. It has been dismantled by the PNA after 1994 and replaced by governmental institutions such as the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Palestine Football Association
The West Bank and Gazan strands of Palestinian culture only began to reconnect after the 1967 war, in the unexpected environment of a Jewish state. [50] After 1967, sports could bring the West Bank and Gaza Sector together, it helped in uniting the Palestinian people together especially cities and villages. Although the biggest obstacle in the development of sports in the West Bank and Gaza Sector was the occupation, the period of 1967 - 1994 witnessed a significant growth in sports compared to that in other Arab countries. Of course, this progress is attributed to the social-athletic clubs, Rabitat al-Andiya and the efforts which were made by the sports leadership in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Al-Rabita was an umbrella that brought all clubs in the West Bank together. Actually, it functioned as a Ministry of Sports. As a nongovernmental institution al-Rabita proved to work and achieve good results. It has been dismantled by the PNA after 1994 and replaced by governmental institutions such as the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Palestine Football Association
Issam Khalidi, an
independent scholar living in San Francisco, California, is author of ‘History
of Sports in Palestine 1900-1948’ in Arabic, ‘One Hundred Years of
Football in Palestine’ in Arabic and English, as well as various articles
on the subject included at www.hpalestinesports.net.
Endnotes:
[1] Helena
Cobban, The Palestinian Liberation Organization: People, Power, and Politics
(Cambridge, U. K.: Cambridge University Press, 1984); Rashid Hamid,
"What Is the PLO," Journal of Palestine Studeies4, no. 4
(Summer 1975): 90 - 109. Quoted in Amal Jamal, Palestinian National Movement,
Politics of Contention 1967 - 2005, (Indiana University Press: Bloomington,
2005) p. 19.
[2] Amal
Jamal, Palestinian National Movement, Politics of Contention 1967 - 2005,
(Indiana University Press: Bloomington, 2005) p. 19.
[3] Avi Shlaim,
Israel and Palestine, Reappraisals, Revisions, Refutations, (London: Verso,
2009). p. 30.
[4]Baruch Kimmerling, Joel Migdal, The
Palestinian People, a history, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003),
p. 416.
[5] Baruch Kimmerling, Joel Migdal, The
Palestinian People, a history, p.214 – 215.
[6] Hallaj Mohammad Palestine: The suppression
of an idea. January – March 1982
http://www.syria-wide.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143&Itemid=108
[7] Ibid.
[9] Grant Harvie, Sport, Culture and Society, An Introduction (London:
Routledge, 2006), p.19
[10] Amal
Jamal, Palestinian National Movement, Politics of Contention 1967 - 2005,
(Indiana University Press: Bloomington, 2005) p. 20.
[11] Amal
Jamal, Palestinian National Movement: Politics of Contention 1967 - 2005,
(Indiana University Press: Bloomington, 2005) p. 42.
[12] Baruch Kimmerling, Joel Migdal, The
Palestinian People, a history, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003),
252
[13] Amal
Jamal, Palestinian National Movement: Politics of Contention 1967 - 2005,
(Indiana University Press: Bloomington, 2005) p. 63.
[14] Amal
Jamal, Palestinian National Movement: Politics of Contention 1967 - 2005,
(Indiana University Press: Bloomington, 2005) p.64
[15]Baruch Kimmerling, Joel Migdal, The
Palestinian People, a history, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003),
p. 400
[16] Migdal 366
[17] Baruch Kimmerling, Joel Migdal, The
Palestinian People, a history, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003),
p. 277.
[18] WasefDaher.
[19] Michel W. Asfour, From Humble Beginnings ... The East
Jerusalem YMCA, This Week in Palestine, Issue No 122, June 2008.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Ibid.
[22] A one- day tournament, each
participating team consisted of six players including the goalkeeper. This kind
of tournament started and ended at the same day. Sometimes the teams consisted
of seven players and were called [Suba’iyyat] from the number seven in Arabic.
Rimon Zabaneh:
Graduated from the Institute of Physical Education in Alexandria, later he
worked as a teacher in few schools in Jerusalem such as St. George’s school,
Kulliyyat al-Umma. At the same time he was the athletic instructor at Jerusalem
YMCA. In 1985, after the suspension of the athletic activities at the YMCA
Zabaneh, and few of his football team moved to Hilal al-Quds, this team became
one of the best teams in the West Bank and Gaza. Zabaneh was the first
Palestinian to become an international referee in football. Today many athletes
and football players owe him gratitude.
[24] Wassef Daher.
Sports History in Palestine, This Week in Palestine, Issue No. 122, June 2008.
[25] Ibid.
Of those who contributed to YMCA sports, we should also
mention the late Tony Aboud and Ali Kurdieh, Wassef Daher, Dr. Nassib Abed Al
Latif, Michel Asfour, Kamal Shamshoum, Salah Abu Irmeleh, Akil Nashashibi,
Khamis Abu Al Sa’ied, Hasan Al Halawani, Issam Helasey, Michel Karkar, Ouraib Al
Nashashibi, BassemNijim, Suheil Shehadeh, Usama Kirri, Abdel LatiefGeith, Ibrahim
Al Atrash, Youseff Teha, Usama Al Sharif, and many others.
[26]Ya'coub
al-Ansari Rabitat al-Andiya, Kaifa, Mata
Ta’assasat , (The League of Clubs, How, When
it was Established), Jerusalem, 1988, p. 3.
[27] RasimYunis, al-Haraka al-Riyadiyya fi al-Diffa
al-Gharbiyya 1967 - 1987 (Palestine Sports Movement in the West Bank), (Hijjawi
Press: Nablus, 1992). p 7-8.
[28] RasimYunis,
al-Haraka al-Riyadiyya fi al-Diffa al-Gharbiyya, p. 77.
[32] Regardless of the occupation, Gaza Sport Club could
participate in the Wihdat Arab Tournament in 1987 and in the Ramtha (city in
Jordan) tournament in 1993.
[33] Wassef Daher, Sports History in
Palestine, This Week in Palestine, Issue No. 122, June 2008.
http://archive.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=2479&ed=154&edid=154
[34] Ibid.
[35]
The first cup tournament of 1980, Nadi Shabab al-Khalil (Hebron) won,
defeating the YMCA 1:0. The second cup
tournament of 1982, Nadi Shabab Az-thahiriyya defeated Makaz Shabab Balata
2:0. The third cup tournament of 1985,
Shabab al-Khalil won, defeating Markaz Shabab Tulkarim 2:0. The fourth cup
tournament of 1987, won by Thaqafi Tulkarim, defeating Silwan Sport Club 2:1.
[36]For the results of the premier league
tournament in 1984, first place was Markaz Shabab Tulkarm, second place was
Majmoo’at Hittin, and third place was YMCA.
In the tournament of 1985/86, twelve teams took part. In first place was Shabab al-Khalil, second
was Thaqafi Tulkarm, and third was Islamic Club of Bethlehem. Also, in the first league for that year,
Shabab Zahiriya won the first place, Hilal of Ariha (Jericho) won the second
place, and in the third place was Shabab of Jericho. In the tournament of
1986/87, Markaz Tulkarm from the premier league won the first place, in second
place was Shabab Azthahiryya, and in third place the Islamic Club of
Bethlehem. The first league placers
were: 1. Qalqilia 2. Hittin 3.O’dd. For the second league, the placing teams
were: 1. Shabab al-Am’ari 2. Union of Jenin 3. Sur Bahir.
According to the statutes of the
league, the elected committee had the right to assign the chief referees. The chief referees had the right to assign
the members of the committee after getting the league’s approval. In 1980, a referees committee was formed from
Amin al-Masri – President, Husni Yunis - for the Nablus region, Ahmad al-Naji -
for Jerusalem region, George Qassis for treasurer, and Abdallah al-Khatib as
the media spokesman.
[37] Khalid
Ijjawi, al-Haraka al-Riyadiyya al-Falastiniyya fi al-Shatat, )Palestinian Sports
Movement in Diaspora), a-Dar al-Wataniya al-Jadida, Damascus, 2001.
[38]YMCA included: Zaher al-Masri, Michel Asfour, Yousef Bajali, Mitri and
Jalil Zabane, while al-Ittihad included: Bilal Tbeileh, Samih Tbeileh, Naef
al-Haj Ahmad, Ammar al-Masri, Husam Salem and Walid Khanfar.
[44] Amal
Jamal, Palestinian National Movement, 79
[45] Said Aburish, Arafat
from Defender to Dictator, (Bloomsburry: NY, 2004) p. 208.
[46] Wassef Daher, Sports History in
Palestine.
[47] Wassef Daher, Sports History in
Palestine.
[49] Wassef Daher, Sports History in
Palestine.
[50] Baruch Kimmerling, Joel Migdal, The
Palestinian People, a history, p. 277.
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