2023-10-19 08:04:07
Middle East conflict
Thousands of dead in Israel and Gaza – Nati foregoes minute’s silence
More than 3,000 people have died in recent days due to the Middle East conflict. Nevertheless, there was no minute’s silence before the Swiss European Championship qualifying game.
Updated19. October 2023, 10:04
It was only on Tuesday that UEFA ordered an “official” minute’s silence before the European Championship qualifying games – like here between England and Italy.
IMAGO/Cover-Images
Before the test match against Australia, three days earlier, the English had held a minute’s silence on their own initiative.
IMAGO/Offside Sports Photography
Likewise in the European Championship qualifying game between the Netherlands and France.
IMAGO/ANP
In mid-September, the players from YB and Leipzig remembered the victims of the natural disasters in Libya and Morocco before their Champions League game.
Claudio De Capitani/freshfocus
Despite the numerous victims of the Middle East conflict, UEFA for a long time refrained from holding a minute’s silence before European Championship qualifying games.
The European Football Association only reacted after the terrorist attack in Brussels.
Although the Nati would have been free to organize a minute’s silence, they decided not to.
Whether due to a natural disaster, war or the old age of a sports icon: in football stadiums around the world it is common practice to hold a minute’s silence before the kick-off of a game. The staging of collective remembrance dates back to the First World War and is now an integral part of public life. The practice boomed with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, when there was silence for months before games.
Another bloody conflict has been raging since Saturday a week ago: As a result of the Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent counter-attacks in Gaza, over 3,000 people (including mostly civilians) have been killed. But anyone who expected minutes of silence in the past few days before the European Championship qualifying games organized by Uefa was wrong. Neither in the Nati game against Belarus on Sunday nor in many other stadiums in Europe did anyone pause before kick-off.
Associations pass on responsibility
At least in connection with the Nati, this should be somewhat surprising. After all, the team is in qualifying group I with Israel and was affected by the Middle East conflict to the extent that the duel in Tel Aviv scheduled for last Thursday had to be canceled. 20 Minutes asks the Swiss Football Association (SFV) after the game against Belarus. “We asked UEFA and they said there was no minute of silence planned,” comments the SFV.
UEFA plays the ball back. Compared to 20 Minutes, it is said that any request for a minute’s silence in connection with the events in Israel and Palestine would have been supported. That means: There was no orchestrated mourning event, but the SFV in St. Gallen could have carried out one – but they didn’t. Conversely, UEFA’s line should also be surprising: for example, after the natural disaster in Morocco and Libya at the beginning of September, it ordered a minute’s silence across Europe.
There was only silence after Brussels
UEFA only did this on Tuesday and in connection with the two fatalities in the terrorist attack in Brussels. “In memory of all the members of the European football family who have died in the past few days,” it said in a statement, a minute’s silence would be held at all European Championship qualifying games. Then, at the very end of the message: “… in Europe and Israel.”
But what standard is used to decide whether a minute’s silence is required by UEFA or not? Contrary to the impression that immediately arises, membership of the European football family is not decisive. After all, Israel is an active UEFA member.
Another conclusion suggests itself: if public opinion is clear enough about the good and bad side of a conflict, football is happy to show solidarity. When public opinion is less clear, people tend to hide behind the mantra that sport is not political. The message of standing up for children or other civilian victims, regardless of party affiliation, would then be even more powerful.
“Give victims a platform without an agenda”
Would a minute’s silence have been welcomed? “The hesitant back and forth was rather embarrassing,” says Walter L. Blum, central secretary of the Switzerland-Israel Society. Meanwhile, the Jewish weekly magazine “Tachles” says: “Anyone who wants to give victims a platform should do so without their own agenda.” If you don’t want to formulate an attitude, you should stay away from it.
An inquiry is pending with the Switzerland-Palestine Society. Just like one at the Swiss Football League (SFL) and at the Young Boys, whether a minute’s silence was planned for next weekend.
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