Rajoub wants to cut sports ties with Israel

After agreeing to cooperate with Israeli counterpart two months ago, chairman of Palestinian Football Association slams 'occupation of fascism and Nazism,' calls for 'escalation in popular activity.' Israel Football Association: This is incitement

Yonatan Mishal, Moshe Scheinman|Published: 11.18.13 , 15:12

Palestinian Football Association Chairman Jibril Rajoub has called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "liar" and accused Israel of "taking advantage of the negotiations in order to play for time and create facts on the ground, which proves that this is an occupation in the form of fascism and Nazism."

Rajoub made the scathing remarks several days ago in a television interview in honor of the Palestinian National Youth Week events.

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The Palestinian official, who was photographed holding a small child with an M16 rifle, openly called for a resumption of the violence against Israel and an "escalation in the popular activity against the occupation."

He added that the Palestinian Authority must cut its cultural, economic and sports ties with Israel – the exact opposite of public statements he made in meetings with FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Israel Football Association Chairman Avi Luzon.

Rajoub calls for renewed violence against Israel (Facebook photo)

The coordinator of government activities in the territories, Brigadier-General Eitan Dangot, met Sunday with Israel Football Association officials and with a senior representative of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), who appeared to be shocked by Rajoub's remarks and promised to look into the incident immediately.

In the past two years, Rajoub and his representatives have been complaining that Israel is imposing restrictions on the movement of athletes from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank and preventing the entry of sports delegations from different countries, including Iraq and Syria.

Rajoub with Blatter. Different remarks (Photo: Reuters)

About two weeks ago, Rajoub participated in a meeting with Blatter and Luzon in Zurich, in which the parties agreed to "cooperate in favor of soccer on both sides."

It wasn't the first time Rajoub discussed such cooperation. In an interview to Yedioth Ahronoth in May 2012, he said that "soccer is the key. We want to convey a message against violence and bloodshed."

The Israel Football Association offered the following statement in response: "We are disgusted by these wretched statements and reject them. It's unfortunate that Rajoub is using sports for political purposes and is failing to contribute to the creation of a better reality.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Association Chairman Avi Luzon and the heads of the IDF are trying constantly to help the Palestinian Authority maintain a life of sports as long as it does not put the security of the State of Israel and its citizens in danger.

" Accusing Israel of fascism and Nazism and calling for an armed uprising by Rajoub can be seen as incitement, and it's hard to see how this can help improve the situation."