Save their pitch, say 35,000
Young footballers at a Bethlehem refugee camp are taking on the might of the IDF, and winning. The pitch at the Aida camp is the only place where young people can play, but in December Israel ordered it to be destroyed.
They said it was a security risk, being next to the concrete separation wall, which goes past the camp.
It was also constructed without planning consent – a common problem on the West Bank where permits are almost impossible to acquire.
The Aida community was ordered to destroy the pitch themselves; if they failed to do so the Israeli authorities would make them pay the cost. Instead the community started a campaign. A petition abroad raised 357,000 names, and the Palestine Football Association secured the support of UEFA, the global football body.
UEFA is based in Switzerland, where it enjoys tax-free status. Local councillors in Nyon threatened to bring a case against UEFA for a breach of international law in supporting the Israeli Football Federation. And Swiss government officials put pressure on its leaders to order the Israeli Football Federation to intervene with the IDF, and in January it was announced the pitch could stay.
UEFA said: ‘We hope the pitch can continue to serve the local community as a safe place for children and youth.’
By early February however there had been no confirmation from the Israelis. The Aida community is ready to fight on if it needs to.
