It seems that football fans might be able to do what Arab governments have miserably failed to achieve or even address: lifting the illegal inhuman Israeli siege off Gaza!

Players line up before a football match on the first day of Gaza's version of the World Cup, in Gaza City, on May 2, 2010. Photo Xinhua/Wissam Nassar

Get involved!

Efforts like the Gaza World Cup, as cliché as it sounds, are only as strong as those who choose to seize the opportunity and get involved. Some have joined because they live in Gaza and know what the siege is doing to the long-term hope for peace. Yet so have many foreigners, as, whether they live in Gaza or have never been here, they can identify with what it feels like to suffer. Many others of varying religions are getting involved because they believe that faith should steer us towards respecting each other's humanity, not discourage it. And finally, a lot of newcomers to the Middle East are taking an interest simply because they're dumbfounded that none of the traditional powers have made any progress in the region over the last 60 years - and they want to help try something new - anything new - in the hopes that we can finally start to change direction in the Middle East. So for whatever reasons you're interested in supporting the Gaza World Cup, your involvement is warmly welcomed.

BRIDGING THE GLOBAL GAPS

Forming the core of the Gaza World Cup will be a partnership between 16 professional football clubs in Gaza and an equal number of foreigner amateurs residing in Gaza for various humanitarian purposes. The 16 Gazan clubs include each of the 14 first-level teams, and, if needed, the two highest ranking second-level teams. The availability of these 352 players will provide the backbone to ensure that the tournament is successful in both the caliber of play, as well as ensuring the event retains a strong local character.

Balancing out the teams begins with 250 international humanitarian workers and journalists from primarily Western countries currently residing in Gaza. Non-regional internationals currently based in Gaza and participating in the tournament include citizens of Britain, France, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. Including these 125 potential players, along with encouraging outside journalists and other professionals with travel coordination residing abroad to journey to Gaza specifically to participate, the non-Arab participation goal is 100 players.

Regional participation will add a further layer of international solidarity to the tournament. With considerable numbers of Algerians, Egyptians, Jordanians, and Turks living in Gaza, a further six teams will play alongside the Palestinian team. The goal for regional participation, beyond Gazans, is 100 players.

In total, 400 players comprising 16 teams are planned, with 200 holding Palestinian nationality and 200 from other countries. And while a non-political event, it should be noted that a wide variety of Palestinian political factions are expected to join together and contribute players within the Palestinian half, promoting national unity over their own political agendas.

The teams involved are Algeria, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Palestine, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, and the USA.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Beyond direct player participation, the tournament will also extensively involve and unite many unique communities within the larger Gazan society. First off, each of the 15 matches will be free and open to the public, welcoming both men and women. And while all events will be confined to Gaza City for logistical reasons, it is widely believed that each of the 16 club teams from throughout Gaza will attract their own local fan base to the events.

A second goal of the tournament is to highlight the resilient strength and culture of Gaza, with a special focus on partnering art and technology with sport. Each aspect of the project, from designing logos, to billboards, to each of the 16 "national" jerseys, will be supported by local artists and graphic designers. And the winning team members will find themselves honored by a trophy hand-crafted from the reclaimed iron of Gazan wreckage, as well as intentionally celebrated by the skilled local tradition of urban graffiti. Each step will then subsequently be featured technologically, with a considerable effort to promote all aspects of the tournament online and in the media, supported extensively behind the scenes by local university students and recent technological graduates.

http://gazaworldcup.org/

Players of Palestine and a foreign team compete during the opening football match on the first day of Gazas version of the World Cup, in Gaza City, on May 2, 2010. The Gaza Strip kicked off its own version of the World Cup with teams of Palestinian footballers and foreigners representing foreign countries on Sunday. The trophy is made out of twisted metal and rubble from last year war with Israel. Photo Xinhua/Wissam Nassar

At last, Palestinians now have a new way to express their national pride - through soccer.
The Palestinian team has existed for a decade, but until today the Palestinian squad played its "home games" in Arab countries, including Jordan and Qatar, although Palestine has been a FIFA member since 1998. The reason is simple: for years it has been denied a home ground and it was forced to train and play overseas due to Israeli occupation. Today is no different with Israel still occupying the Palestinian territories, however, as a form of resistance, Palestine’s football team decided to makes history with its first ever international game at home. Palestine - taking on Jordan in their first home game - will be the only team now with a ground, but without a country.

The Palestinian national football team prays before the start of a friendly football match against Jordan at the newly established stadium in the West Bank town of al-Ram, on the outskirts of Jerusalem on October 26, 2008. FIFA President Sepp Blatter was in the West Bank to attend the first Palestinian national soccer team match played on home soil. Palestine has been affiliated to FIFA since 1998 even though still under Israeli occupation.

But that's not the end of the dream. Although thousands watched the friendly game against Jordan, and the crowd roared as the Palestinians scored several minutes after kickoff (match result at bottom), however problems are still haunting sports in Palestine.

Professional players are not the only problem the team is facing (except for Robert Bishara, who plays for Palestine in Chile), Israel and occupation remains a nightmare. While they say that sport unites people, Israel has chosen to separate them. The Palestinian team includes players from Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, however, several players are unable to join team mates for training, let alone matches, because they are barred from traveling freely between Gaza and the West Bank by Israel. In fact for today's match the team's captain, Saeb Jundiyeh, was not allowed to travel to the West Bank and was forced to miss a historical moment. Another example is the World Cup, where the Palestine team could not travel to play for qualification matches in Singapore because many of its players and officials were banned from traveling by Israel.

Not to forget another powerful symbol of the ongoing problems the team faces traveling to games is the new stadium itself, which is only yards from a stretch of Israel's apartheid wall. The new stadium is at al-Ram near occupied Jerusalem.

Anyway, this is a historical day and we should build upon it. As Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said, we urge more foreign teams to play in the occupied Palestinian territories. "This is a sign of solidarity, it's a message of solidarity with the Palestinian people during a time of hardship.”

Match result: 1 Palestine - 1 Jordan