What It Took to Save a Soccer Field in Palestine

"In a victory for the Palestinian solidarity movement, Israeli soldiers and munitions will not reduce a soccer field in the occupied West Bank's Aida refugee camp to rubble. In November, Israel announced its plans to demolish the Aida field, despite-or maybe because of-the fact that it is one of the few spaces in the area where kids can play and actually be kids."

"The pitch is the only sports facility available to the residents of the Aida camp, and young people from the nearby Bayt Jibrin refugee camp also use the venue. Mohammad Abu Srour of the Aida Youth Center told The Nation, "The football pitch is much more than a sports field for Aida camp. It is also a community hub for families, youth, and social activities. For many children, it represents hope, stability, and a path toward opportunity through sport, education, and psychosocial support.""

"Infantino, the only sports official to attend the Summit for Peace in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, last October where Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire agreement, has been conspicuously quiet while Israel routinely violates the peace pact. But The New York Times reported that Infantino-alongside Aleksandr Ceferin, the head of UEFA, Europe's governing body for soccer-stepped in, following the outcry, to help save the field from destruction. Palestinians are now awaiting final confirmation that the pitch will actually be saved."

Israeli authorities announced plans in November to demolish the soccer pitch in the occupied West Bank's Aida refugee camp, one of the few places where children can play. The pitch serves residents of Aida and nearby Bayt Jibrin and functions as a community hub offering sport, education, and psychosocial support. FIFA president Gianni Infantino and UEFA head Aleksandr Ceferin intervened after public outcry, prompting steps to save the field. Aida Youth Center leaders described the planned razing as a deliberate attempt to deprive hundreds of Palestinian children of a facility vital to their physical and mental welfare. Final confirmation of the pitch's preservation is pending.

Read at The Nation