Algerians are very proud of their national football team, in part for the political statements its victories represent. According to this article by Abdul Nasser of Algeria’s Arabic-language Echorouk al-Yawm, at the 2010 World Cup, eliminating England and America will also be seen as a victory for Palestinians in Gaza.
Reflecting the ferocity of Arab support for the Palestinians and enduring historic anger at England and the U.S., for Echorouk al-Yawm, Abdul Nasser writes in part:
Many around the world didn’t understand why Algerians were so overjoyed by the performance of their heroic team against England, nor will they understand why they’ll cheer even louder if it wins against the United States, qualifying at the expense of two of the greatest powers in the world.
The moment people see the flag of Palestine flying over South Africa during matches featuring Algeria, they will understand the elimination of the two countries most historically supportive of Israel -from the Balfour Declaration to Camp David – as perhaps the most fervent love letter ever written to the people of Gaza. It will be an effort on the behalf of the many people in the world who are working to remove Israel’s blockade, even as Great Britain and the United States work to prevent an end to the siege.
For those who say that simply raising the Palestinian flag on the football pitch is to thrust politics into the world of sports, I say that it is they who have always been the first to politicize sports – and it is they who have always tried to say through sports what they couldn’t say politically.
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