After protests outside the Bloomfield Stadium before the match against Albania at the end of September, boos received by Omar Azili and many criticisms against Yossi Benyon, the professional manager of the Israeli national team and coach Alon Hazan, the saga of the midfielder's call-up to the national team took another turn today (Tuesday).
The women's organizations that asked the heads of the soccer association not to summon Atzili, following his involvement in the minors case in May 2020, published the soccer association's response which claims that because Atzili's actions did not happen during the period when he was summoned to the Israel national team, the association should not act according to the code of ethics.
"Atzil, as a matter of fact, was not a player of the Israel national team at the time of the events described in the petition," reads the association's response to the claims, "from 2016 to 2021, Omar Atzil was not called up to the Israeli national team and it is not clear where the petitioners got the "fact" according to which Mr. Omar Atzil was a national team player Israel during the relevant period. This fact is simply not true and it is a shame that a simple preliminary factual inquiry was not made on behalf of the petitioners, before they claimed an obviously incorrect fact before the honorable court. The fact that Atzili's summons, after the publication of the affair and the closing of the criminal case, more than a year ago, did not bother me at all The rest of the petitioners is evidenced by the fact that the summoning of Omar Atzili to the national team is not the real subject of the petition," continued the association's response, "It is a shame that on an incorrect and shaky factual basis the petitioners found it appropriate to attribute to the football association cooperation with Atzili in order to qualify his behavior and sponsor it." .
The football association also wrote: "The fundamental issue of the lack of overlap between the moral standard and the criminal standard - is not the matter at hand," continued the association's response, "but rather the factual aspects and the decision of the bodies in charge of law enforcement regarding them. In this context - the claim of Omer Azili and Dor Micah is that they never took drugs and that they were not aware of the age of the girls and that they themselves were deliberately misled in this regard. The decision to close the case due to lack of guilt and the decision not to open the investigation, which were before the eyes of the law enforcement bodies in real time and not only when they were publicly announced, expresses a factual decision which adopts the version of Omar Atzili and Dor Micah".
Noble in the national team uniform.
The rush around the connection continues, photo: Maor Alxalsi
The response of the women's organizations was furious and it read:
"A delusional and evasive response that seeks to qualify Azili as a national team player, despite the harsh sexual acts he committed as a minor. The claim that he is not required to comply with the code of ethics due to the schedule is a removal of responsibility from the players of the Israeli national team who are required to be a model and example for boys and girls in Israel ".
Attorney Uri Kider, who represents the petitioners:
"This is a delusional position. The artificial attempt to separate Atzili's problematic activity from the 'sporting core of the association's activity' is unfortunate. This is the Israeli national team. According to the association's method, a national team player can sexually exploit minors on days when he is not wearing the national uniform, as long as he behaves well during the summons."
The CEO of the women's lobby, Einat Fischer to these:
"We can only wonder if the results of the game are more important to the football association than acting according to the code of ethics that she herself established.
A soccer player who represents the State of Israel and wears our national team's uniform should also carry the moral values that the state wants to represent.
Woe to us if we ignore those and only give room for the next goal in the Champions League game."
Orit Soliciano, CEO of the Association of Assistance Centers for Victims and Victims of Sexual Assault:
The football association's response is simply disgraceful and is all an attempt to evade making a moral and correct decision: Atzili's conduct defamed him and showed unequivocally that he is not normatively appropriate to wear the Israel national team uniform. It is unfortunate to see the poor evasion of the heads of the association who only think about the next achievement and ignore Atzili's behavior and speech."
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