Summary of Israel's 2:2 home draw against Iceland/Sport1
The match between the Israeli national team and the Icelandic national team in the playoffs for promotion to Euro 2024 is getting closer, and as time passes, more and more anti-Israeli voices are heard in the northern country - against the background of the war in Gaza.
It is important to note that this is the mindset in Iceland, where ignorance regarding the happenings in the Middle East is celebrated and loud voices are also heard calling for a boycott of the home Eurovision - if Israel participates in it.
Israel will play against Iceland in the semi-finals of the playoffs on March 21 and the winner will face Ukraine or Bosnia.
Whoever wins the final, will win a ticket to Euro 2024 in Germany and play in the fifth group, to which Belgium, Slovakia and Romania were also drawn.
Due to the security situation, Israel will once again host in Budapest.
In an interview a few days ago on the mbl website, the coach of Iceland, Oga Hareida, admitted that "I would have preferred not to play against Israel".
The 70-year-old Norwegian, former coach of the Denmark and Norway national teams, elaborated: "I feel that it might be difficult for the players mentally. I would prefer not to meet Israel, although we must leave politics aside."
"I have my point of view about the war in the Middle East, but I have to put it aside."
Hareida/GettyImages, Octavio Passos
Coach Harayda continued in the same interview last week: "We're going to play against Israeli footballers and not against politicians - and that's the way to look at it. I know that recently there was a discussion on the issue, considering the fact that the Israeli government killed 26 thousand Palestinians. The difference between this case and Russia, is Only UEFA did not suspend Israel."
The Norwegian concluded: "I have my point of view regarding the war in the Middle East, but I have to put it aside.
We all need to leave our emotions behind and come with the right mentality.
The best thing we can do is beat Israel."
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In Iceland, people wonder again and again: "Why is Russia confiscated and Israel not?".
The match between the national teams in 2022/Maor Alxalsi
A day before, the Icelandic journalist Brynjar Birgisson wrote a column and showed a lack of education when he compared Israel to Russia.
According to Birgison, if the sports world imposed a boycott on Russia invading Ukraine, it should do the same in Israel.
Birgisson demanded answers from the Icelandic Football Association and his column (or parts of it) on fotbolti.net was echoed by many media outlets.
To most Israelis and also to Ukrainians for example, the comparison will probably seem ridiculous, but in Iceland it is the guideline.
Among other things, he wrote: "I don't understand how it is possible to justify boycotting Russia, but playing against Israel. Is it because the Palestinians are less white? Are the reasons related to religion? Are their lives worth less?"
Birgisson also attacked the president of Iceland's soccer association, Vanda Sigurðirstoðar: "When I think of her tenure in the association, I can't help but recall the words of journalist Stirmis Gunnarsson. 'There are no more principles, no ideals, only opportunism and power struggles'. Shame on you, Wanda."
His demand to suspend Israel went under the radar and was not reported in most of the sports media, but in Iceland they made sure to highlight it.
Prince Ali/GettyImages, Francois Nel
At the same time, the Icelandic sports media - usually lethargic - takes care to capture an anti-Israel side in the guise of reports.
For example, a request by the Jordanian Football Association to suspend Israel from all competitions received a lot of coverage in the Nordic island nation.
The Jordanian request was submitted by the president of the association, Prince Ali bin Hussein, who is of course King Abdullah's half-brother.
His step was taken at this stage mainly for populist reasons and with very little practice - after all, in the last 22 years he has produced quite a few fruitless attempts to condemn and distance Israel from global football enterprises.
His towering move went almost completely under the radar in all European sports media, but it was in Iceland that they made sure to highlight it.
At the end of November, Maccabi Tel Aviv was hosted by the Icelandic Brideblick and encountered dozens of anti-Israel protesters who tried to provoke provocations.
On March 21, it will be the turn of the Israeli national team and they will meet the Icelandic national team in a game of crucial importance regarding the identity of the Euros.
It is likely that in the next month and a half the anti-Israeli volume in Iceland will increase as the game approaches.
More on the same topic:
Iceland national team
boycott
Boycott of Israel
Israel's national team