A football pitch used by Palestinian refugees has been spared from demolition by Israel after a last-ditch appeal to Fifa.
The Israeli military had said the pitch at Aida refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank, was built illegally and posed a security risk because it is near a barrier separating the territory from Israel. A demolition order was issued late last year.
Campaigners at an Aida youth centre appealed to the Fifa president Gianni Infantino – who has taken a keen interest in Middle East politics – and Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin to come to their aid. The campaigners said the pitch “means the world to us” as a place where children can “train, laugh, and feel like any kid”.
The pitch, on land between Bethlehem and Jerusalem owned by the Armenian Church, is one of the only recreational facilities in the camp, where more than 7,200 people live in an area of less than one square kilometre.
Israeli media said Mr Infantino had raised their case with the Swiss government and Mr Ceferin with the Israeli football federation. As a result, Haaretz reported, the military halted the order to demolish the pitch, passing the decision to the Israeli government. Switzerland’s ambassador to Israel was also reported to have petitioned Israeli authorities.
The youth centre called the news a “huge step forward” but said it had not received any official word from Israeli authorities, meaning the campaign is not yet over.
“We welcome Fifa and Uefa's intervention to stop the demolition, but we must stress that the situation remains uncertain and that the threat to the pitch remains active,” it said. “We fear that Israel will wait for international pressure to die down and then reactivate the demolition order.”
Palestinian organisations had been appealing to football organisations to pressure Israel to stop the demolition. Munther Amira, a board member of the Aida youth centre, sent a letter to Mr Infantino, calling the move “a clear and callous attempt to deprive Palestinians, including hundreds of boys and girls, of a facility that is of critical importance to their physical and mental welfare”.
Mr Infantino is close to the US President Donald Trump and attended the Sharm El Sheikh peace summit last year, at which the US's 20-point plan for Gaza was finalised. In November, he announced that two mini-pitches known as Fifa Arenas would be built in the West Bank in 2026.
The Israeli military back-track comes as Swiss politicians launch a complaint against Uefa, accusing it of violating international law by working with Israel’s Football Association. The campaign threatens Uefa's tax exemptions in Switzerland, where the organisation’s headquarters are situated. Israel’s military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
