The Premier League is facing calls from clubs to issue an official response to the conflict in Israel. Executives at several clubs are unhappy with the silence since the terrorist attack by Hamas last Friday.
🚨 The Premier League is facing calls from clubs to provide a formal response to the outbreak of war in Israel, with executives at several of them unhappy at the sport's silence since the attack by Hamas.
(Source: @MailSport) pic.twitter.com/oKv7i3moWA
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) October 11, 2023
According to Daily Mail, senior figures from various clubs wish to convey their condolences to the victims as well as pay tribute but fear it may cause backlash and potentially endanger the safety of their fans.
Several executives have cited security concerns as one of their reasons for not speaking out while others expressed fears about being seen to take sides in the Israeli/Palestine conflict.
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The lack of any response from football at all levels over the last few days has been striking, prompting certain clubs to complain in private about the absence of leadership.
UEFA postponed all matches scheduled to occur in Israel over the next two weeks. However, in their statement they referred to it as a “current security situation” without addressing the recent terrorist attacks and the substantial number of casualties on both sides.
In light of the current security situation in Israel, UEFA has decided to postpone several matches scheduled to be played in the country.
New dates will be confirmed in due course. More details: ⬇️
— UEFA (@UEFA) October 8, 2023
FIFA has not issued any statement while UEFA have not confirmed whether their will be any tributes at this week’s European Championship qualifiers despite the fact that Israel are one of their members.
The Premier League has engaged in discussions with several clubs in recent days but has not delivered an official response. Their current approach, which delegates the responsibility for any social media tributes to individual clubs, has drawn criticism.
A club insider pointed out the inconsistency, emphasizing that the league’s top management consistently mandates campaigns addressing other social issues,such as the fight against racism and homophobia.
Moreover, another club official accused the Premier League of hypocrisy, considering the league’s vigorous condemnation of Russia and its wholehearted embrace of the Black Lives Matter movement. This even included the BLM logo being featured on players’ shirts in 2020.
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The FA also find themselves in a difficult position as they are still deliberating whether to illuminate the Wembley arch in the colors of the Israeli flag during England’s friendly match against Australia on Friday.
