Soccer-Advocacy groups call for European ban on Israel team, players in Times Square billboard

"WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) -A coalition of advocacy organisations and fan groups called on European soccer federations to boycott Israel in a Times Square billboard that went live on Tuesday, kicking off the #GameOverIsrael campaign months ahead of the World Cup. The billboard went up on Tuesday in New York, which is set to host eight matches in the World Cup next year, including the final. Canada and Mexico are co-hosting the quadrennial international competition with the United States. The campaign calls on soccer federations in Belgium, England, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Scotland, and Spain to boycott the Israel national team and ban Israeli players from domestic competitions, citing the ongoing attacks in Gaza."

""As the United States prepares to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, Americans must not allow our stadiums to become platforms for whitewashing war crimes," said American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee National Executive Director Abed Ayoub in a statement. The ADC launched the #GameOverIsrael initiative with several European partners. "We stand with our European counterparts and demand that every football governing body take immediate and decisive action to bar Israel from international competition," said Ayoub. "The world must tell Israel that the game is over, and there is no room in sports for war criminals.""

"A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Israeli officials rejected the findings of the report, with Israel's ambassador to the United Nations calling it "scandalous" and "fake". The billboard, which was located near the intersection of Broadway and West 43rd Street, contains the word "genocide," which ADC said was only approved by the billboard company after it saw the text of the U.N. commission's report."

Advocacy organisations and fan groups launched the #GameOverIsrael campaign with a Times Square billboard urging European soccer federations to boycott Israel and ban Israeli players from domestic competitions. The billboard appeared in New York, which is set to host eight matches in the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The campaign targets federations in Belgium, England, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Scotland and Spain, citing ongoing attacks in Gaza. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee leads the initiative and called on football governing bodies to bar Israel from international competition. A U.N. commission concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza, a finding Israeli officials rejected, describing it as "scandalous" and "fake". ADC said the billboard company's approval of the word "genocide" followed review of the U.N. report.

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