Issam Khalidi
This article sheds some light on these fundaments that could be considered as having a profound impact on the success and prominence of Palestinian sports on a local, national, and international level over the past few years. It also highlights the challenges facing the sports movement today and raises the question: "What is the future of Palestinian sports?" It is especially important considering that the genocide in the Gaza Strip and the occupation's attempts to employ ethnic cleansing tactics in the West Bank, as well as the daily violations and crimes committed by settlers against Palestinians, have all taken place.
It is important to note that Palestinian sport
is unique in that it is based on national, social and organizational
foundations, all of which are necessary to ensure its long-term success. In fact, these foundations provide sport with
the opportunity to develop and maintain its national identity, maintain it, and
even become a tool of resistance against the occupying power in the process.
In fact, no other
sports movement in the world is being faced with the same conditions as the
Palestinian sport movement is. In the wake of Palestine’s occupation,
Palestinians have experienced displacement, hardships, and confrontation with
the occupation. In the process of Palestinian sports becoming a weapon that
emphasizes the people's identity and challenges Israel's control over Palestinians,
Israel increasingly views Palestinian sports as a threat to Israeli control
over Palestinians. Sport has always been Israel's nightmare and a thorn in its
side as long as it bears the symbol of the Palestinian people, flag and name.
It has long been recognized that sports have been characterized by strong social foundations since the 1920s. Generally speaking, the majority of clubs in Palestine were established as social clubs, which included sports as one of their main activities as part of their structure. In the last century, they have developed their management systems in accordance with social structures, cultural trends, as well as national trends.
As a
matter of fact, the majority of clubs in existence today operate as social
clubs that are run by dedicated members and officials, who are supported by
their communities. In our opinion, there is no doubt that the more professional
sports become, the more its authenticity and social essence is lost. It is,
however, a fact that Palestinian sports have not been subjected to a high level
of sporting professionalism. Even though some clubs accept professionalism as a
core FIFA requirement, the social aspect of their activities remains
substantial intact.
As a result of the re-establishment of
the Palestinian Sports Federation during the 1940s, Palestinian sports have
been managed on an organizational level since then, and this has continued
until today. It is important to note that each historical stage and place of
the diaspora had its own organizational characteristics.
For the sports
movement to succeed, however, it is also imperative that it is able to build on
other foundations (health, scientific, and democratic) in order to achieve
integration and reach its full potential.
Unfortunately, there is a large segment of
the population that does not consider sport a part of their health routine, and
this presents a serious problem. Sports officials have a responsibility to work
towards making sports an integral part of citizens' lives and a daily habit. In
order to combat unhealthy lifestyles (lack of exercise, smoking, poor diet,
sleep deprivation, and stress), there have to be many efforts made. There is no
doubt that the Israeli occupation of Palestine has played a significant role in
Palestinian misery.
In today's world,
most of the countries achieving success in sports are doing so on the basis of
scientific research. In the last few decades, there has been an increase in the
number of physical education departments at universities. This is in addition
to BA degrees, some offering master and doctoral degrees. As a result,
Palestinian physical education teachers and coaches have become more qualified
and competent over the years. There is a need for universities to cooperate
with sports federations as well as the Palestinian Olympic Committee. Universities
should take an active role in research and studies in order to help coaches and
federations.
It is important to point out that prior to
Oslo Accords; sports in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were based on democratic
principles that rested on a broad social foundation free from favoritism and
bureaucracy. It is clear that today there is a lack of democracy in the
decision-making process, with power concentrated in the hands of the
Palestinian Olympic Committee president as well as the Palestinian Football
Association. There is a partisan tendency that dominated Palestinian sports
(Fatah in the West Bank, Hamas in Gaza Sector). It has been confirmed that
Fatah, the dominant Palestinian faction that constitutes a substantial part of
the Palestinian Authority, has violated the sports rights of Hamas members in
the occupied West Bank. Similarly, Hamas in the Gaza Strip violated the sports
rights of Fatah members in the same manner.
There has been an
outstanding success in the field of sports among the Palestinian people,
despite displacement, the difficult circumstances they have faced, the absence
of an independent state, and the ongoing occupation. This success began in the
1940s and continued after the Nakba (the 1948) to this day. In the 1950s,
Palestine's participation in the Arab Games was a perfect example of this. This
was also evident in the re-establishment of the Palestinian Football
Association and other sports associations in the 1960s and the attempt of the
Palestinian Football Association to become a member of FIFA at that time. It
was then at the end of the 1960s that the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports
was founded, and the League of Clubs Rabitat al-Andiya was established in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1970s, which remained active until the signing
of the Oslo Accords in 1993 and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
A new phase of
Palestinian sports began in 1993, when the League of Clubs was dissolved and
replaced (along with all other civil society organizations) by
"state" institutions, which represented a significant change in the
sports sector. After the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, the
Palestinian Football Association and other federations moved from Tunisia to
the Gaza Strip. They then moved to the West Bank.
Due to the Oslo
Accords, Israel has increased the confiscation of land and the expansion of
settlements in the West Bank. In addition to this, they also resulted in the
construction of the separation wall, the fragmentation of the West Bank, and
its separation from Jerusalem as well. Sport has, however, coexisted with these
results since 1993, and has evolved as a result.
Additionally, the
Oslo Accords led to a marginalization of sports in the diaspora as a
consequence of the accords. Due to these Accords, there has been a greater
presence of sports in the Gaza Strip and West Bank than in the diaspora
(especially in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon). Palestinian sports, in
general, were affected by this imbalance that caused a lot of problems.
Palestinian sports
are characterized by their resilience and adaptability. As demonstrated
throughout history, every time Israel attempts to destroy the Palestinian
people, they come back stronger and more resilient than before. In this
sense, we are reminded of what the Libyan freedom fighter Omar al-Mukhtar once
said: "The blow that does not break your back only strengthens you.”
Adaptability is
evident in how sports have thrived under all circumstances. This is whether in
the post-Nakba period in the refugee camps, during the Israeli occupation of
the West Bank and Gaza Sector, or in the period after the signing of the Oslo
Accords. Palestinian sports managed to cope with the negative consequences of
the Oslo Accords through adaptability and achieved successful results as a
result.
In spite of the
challenges it faces, Palestinian sports have excelled at the local, regional
(participation in Arab Games and Arab championships), and international levels
(qualification for the World Cup, Olympic Games, and other international
championships). Numerous athletes have emerged in individual sports such as
swimming, boxing, karate, taekwondo, bodybuilding, weightlifting, and
athletics, among others.
Despite the fact that Palestine's membership in FIFA was brought about by the Oslo Accords, it is impossible to ignore the positive effects that this membership has had on Palestinian football in particular. Among these effects, the most crucial one is that Palestine has become a prominent figure on the world sports map. This has led to the promotion of Palestinian identity in terms of name, flag, people, and cause by showcasing the Palestinian identity in the spotlight.
There is no doubt
that football is the most popular sport. However, there should be no
misconception that it is synonymous with Palestinian sports. In reality,
football is just one aspect of Palestinian sports, and any success in football
will only contribute to Palestinian sports success.
Given the current
circumstances, especially the genocidal war being waged in the Gaza Strip, two
questions arise: First, what are the challenges facing Palestinian sports?
Second, what is the future of Palestinian sports? Of course, there are other
challenges besides the occupation, including social, cultural, organizational,
administrative, and economic challenges. However, the occupation, which
manifests itself in targeting athletes and hindering their movement, obstructing
the import of sports equipment, and destroying sports infrastructure, remains
the biggest obstacle to the development of the Palestinian sports movement.
It is important to keep in mind that the
future of Palestinian sports is closely tied to the present, as well as the
challenges that the Palestinian sports movement is facing. This present, with
its realities, certainly raises the prospect of an uncertain future for the
sports movement as a whole.
Increasingly, it is
becoming apparent that many Gazan athletes are losing confidence in the future
because of the conditions in which they are living, the uncertainty which they
are facing at the present time. It is important to understand for them that
sport has become not just a competitive and recreational activity, but also
memories, feelings, emotions, pain, and ambitions. Sport for them is a part of
a glorious past, a painful present, and an uncertain future.
Obviously, there is a disparity
between the level of sports in the West Bank of the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip of the Gaza Strip of today. As a result of Israel's genocide of Gaza, the
sports infrastructure of the Sector has been extensively destroyed, and more
than 800 people have been killed. At the same time, Israeli forces and settlers
in the West Bank are actively committing ethnic cleansing. In effect, they are
using the same methods as those employed in the Gaza Strip (Gazafication),
which will have terrible consequences in the future, including in the area of
sports as well.
After the
occupation ends, the goal is to bring all sports in the Gaza Strip and the West
Bank under one sports administration and one unified national government. It
has now become imperative to reject any form of division among Palestinians
after so much blood has been shed, so many lives have been lost, and so many
sacrifices have been made. The genocide in Gaza has sparked a revolution in the
political and moral consciousness of the international community, particularly
in the West. The Palestinian cause has garnered wide sympathy around the world
as a humanitarian cause due to the sacrifices that have been made.
It is also very difficult to
separate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank. This is due to the fact that sports
in the Strip are an integral part of Palestinian sports as a whole. It is the
ultimate goal of the Palestinian people (after the end of the occupation) to
have sports fully integrated in the Gaza Strip, in the West Bank, and in the
diaspora under the umbrella of a single sports administration, under the
umbrella of a unified Palestinian government that encompasses all Palestinian
factions.
Palestinian's
continued presence on their own land and the international solidarity they have
with them and their cause, as well as their resistance and steadfastness
against the occupation, is undoubtedly the foundation for the future of the
Palestinian sports movement. There is no choice but for the Palestinian sports
movement to stand in solidarity with Palestine's revolutionary struggle for an
independent Palestinian state and a brighter future.
There can be no
doubt that the people of Gaza, who thwarted the ethnic cleansing plan and
performed miracles through their steadfastness and heroism, will be able to
rebuild their lives and revive their sporting activities as soon as conditions
become more stable.
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