UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has condemned “senseless acts of violence” in a letter to the Israeli Football Association that offered “sincere condolences” to the victims of the attacks in the country.
Ceferin’s comments were the first publicly by a global football leader and came as the English FA were on Thursday considering how to acknowledge the victims during Friday’s friendly between England and Australia at Wembley.
In a letter to Moshe Zuares, president of the Israeli FA, Ceferin wrote: “On behalf of UEFA and the whole European football community, my heart goes out to all the victims and their families during these difficult times. It is an unimaginable tragedy, and the pain and sorrow are profound and resonate across the entire football community.”
The FA have been urged by the Government to show support for the victims of the attacks in Israel, but it is unlikely the Wembley arch will be lit up in the country’s colours for fear of a backlash from some communities.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport wrote to the governing bodies of football, cricket, tennis, rugby union and rugby league on Wednesday, encouraging them to “mark events appropriately in line with previous events where sport has come together”.
There have been talks about illuminating Wembley’s arch in Israeli colours for Friday, as the FA did last year in the blue and yellow of Ukraine in solidarity with the country after it was invaded by Russia.
However, in a meeting of FA officials on Wednesday, it was suggested the move could be divisive and be seen as taking sides in the conflict. Rather than lighting the arch, it is likely a message of peace and unity will be conveyed before Friday’s match.
The death toll in Israel has reached more than 1,200 after a series of attacks by Hamas, while 1,100 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza.
Despite Ceferin’s letter, UEFA and FIFA are yet to make a public statement on the situation, nor have the Premier League and any of their clubs. The lack of public support from the game has been fiercely criticised by some Jewish fan groups, including those affiliated with Arsenal and Chelsea.
Posting on X, Jewish Gooners wrote: “By failing to even acknowledge what has occurred, the football world has demonstrated one thing loud and clear: that Jewish and Israeli lives are not equal to others. The Jewish fans and people of Israel are not part of this so-called family.
“Whatever happens now and whatever politically sensitive solution is achieved in football’s corridors of power, Jewish and Israeli football fans knew that when it really mattered, we were not supported.”
Football's silence on Israel - A statement from Jewish Gooners pic.twitter.com/8X9VpzCeC7
— JewishGooners (@JewishGooners) October 11, 2023
Arsenal have warned their squad about the potential for a backlash on social media if they comment on the conflict, after two members of their squad showed support for both Israel and Palestine.
Oleksandr Zinchenko posted and then deleted a message on Instagram reading: “I stand with Israel”, while Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny changed his profile pictures on X and Instagram to the Palestinian flag.
Neither player has been told to remove the posts or pictures, but they have been made aware of what the reaction could be from those who view them.
Meanwhile, Israel’s European Championship qualifier in Kosovo on Sunday has been postponed, with UEFA saying the Israeli authorities would not allow their national team to travel overseas.
