Palestinian activists, in collaboration with various sources, including Qataris and Arabs, recently prepared for the World Cup in Qatar, but these preparations did not include anything related to sports and football.
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Several campaigns were launched on social media, with the goal of raising international awareness to the Palestinian efforts against Israel during the Qatar 2022 World Cup games, which bring together fans from dozens of countries. For example, a campaign posted on Twitter, under "The Palestinian Dream," explained that during the World Cup Games, one should "support Palestine and make the Palestinian issue known to the world.
In addition, designed ads uploaded to the web under the title "How can you support Palestine during the World Cup?," suggested wearing scarves and fabrics with the Palestinian flag printed on them, together with a keffiyeh, as well as a bracelet and armband with the colors of the PLO flag.
The campaign calls on the Arab public and World Cup fans in Qatar to "cheer for Palestine" on the stairs and in the stands, in the plazas around the stadiums, and in the gathering points of the various teams and national leagues.
In the last two weeks, young Palestinians and Arabs launched the campaign. They distributed flags and other gadgets to the general public and fans, who began to fill the stadiums and surrounding areas before the start of the tournament and even distributed flowers. Several members of the Arab clubs participating in the World Cup followed suit with the initiative and attached a ribbon in the colors of the Palestinian flag to their arms.
Additional pro-Palestinian initiatives are expected during the month of the FIFA World Cup. Among others, "information camps" will be set up to distribute material about the conflict with Israel, and activists will be deployed around youth groups to serve as "Palestinian ambassadors." Their role will be to make direct contact with supporters and fans from all over the world and raise the Palestinian issue. One of the organizers even mentioned a website that had been set up in three languages for the "young people to direct visitors to this website, which will provide them with information about Palestine."
Regarding the initiative to fly Palestinian flags, Radda Yassin, one of the organizers of "Ambassadors Against Normalization," explained that the inspiration for their initiative is the Russia-Ukraine war, where fans in sports fields in European countries raised Ukrainian flags, in protest of the measures taken by Putin. "Just as the European countries believe in the justice of the Ukrainian plight, we also have the right to talk about the Palestine case, especially as this is the first time that an Arab country is hosting the World Cup games," he said.
Activists involved in the promotion of the campaign said that one of its goals is to encourage sports commentators and media in Doha to talk about the Palestinian struggle during the World Cup.
Sports commentator Hafid Derradji, employed by the Qatari-funded global network, beIN SPORTS, tweeted to join the "Palestinian Dream" campaign. "God willing, the flag of Palestine will be flying everywhere in Qatar. Normalization with Israel is betrayal, humiliation and a disgrace. Those who agree to it are cowards and those who justify it are stupid," he wrote.
Another initiative, branded "#Palestine in the World Cup", distributed signs reading "A Free Palestine" and "Arab Jerusalem." In addition, participants were asked to photograph and document "activities supporting Palestine in the World Cup" and distribute them on social media. Moreover, as a tribute to the Palestinians, Qatar decided to provide two "viewing areas" with giant screens in the West Bank and Gaza. A sports hall in the center of Gaza, as well as in Ramallah, was prepared for fans to come and watch the games during the coming month. "We decided to take care of our brothers in Palestine, who suffer daily from the crimes of the Israeli occupation and to share the joy of these World Cup games with the Palestinian people to underscore the fact that their justified struggle will always remain 'in sight'," the deputy foreign minister of Qatar said.
The statement comes despite the fact that Qatar struck an agreement with FIFA according to which airlines would operate flights from Tel Aviv to Doha during the World Cup and that Palestinians would also be permitted to fly from Tel Aviv during the games.
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