January 2019

Players came off the field retching and five were taken to hospital for treatment after Israelis fired tear gas into the Al Khader Stadium in Bethlehem during an evening game.  Gas enveloped the field and further play between Al Ebeidiyah and Al Doha was impossible. The attack was totally unprovoked and no excuses were given …

Palestine finished the Group stage of the 2019 Asian Cup in the UAE with a creditable draw against group leaders Jordan but could not make it to the next round as it was not one of the four best placed third teams. Results for Palestine in Group B were: 6 January           Syria  …

After almost a year of preparation and several five a side games the London Palestino club has played its first eleven a side game and has chalked up its first victory at 4 – 0 against Falcons FC in the Middlesex FA league.  Its facebook page says “the London Palestino AFC is a new football club …

The Palestinian FA’s president Mr Jibril Rajoub has been subjected to a disgraceful series of accusations by an Israeli organization called Palestine Media Watch (led by settler Itamar Marcus, pictured).  Sadly FIFA has taken this seriously and its Ethics Committee in its letter of 8 January 2019 demanded Mr Rajoub’s response by 18 January 2019. …

ARREST On Monday 7 January 2019 the Palestinian FA’s Vice President for International Affairs, Ms Susan Shalabi, was returning to Palestine after the first game in the Asian Cup tournament when the Israeli authorities arrested her at the Allenby bridge crossing from Jordan.  Her phone was withheld for examination.  No reason was given for Ms …

There have been many disruption for footballers and officials travelling to and from Palestine. However, on Monday, January 7, 2019, for the first time ever a Palestinian official was actually arrested. The charge, made verbally, was “buying weapon components from the internet”. What were those weapon components? It turns out that they were a camera! …