Pirates’ friendly with Israeli outfit Maccabi Tel Aviv to go ahead despite pro-Palestine protests

Orlando Pirates' pre-season friendly against Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv will go ahead despite calls from pro-Palestine groups to boycott the match. The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Coalition (BDS) slammed Pirates for wanting to go ahead with playing a team 'representing apartheid Israel', but the Buccaneers have defended themselves saying they are only bound to FIFA rules, which do not prevent them from playing a side from Israel."Orlando Pirates' core functioning is governed by rules. It is to the rules that Orlando Pirates went when confronted with calls to withdraw from playing Maccabi Tel Aviv. There is no cultural boycott or boycott of any form by either the South African government, Fifa or the host country that Orlando Pirates can base its refusal to play against Maccabi Tel Aviv on," said some of the paragraphs of Pirates' long statement on Monday."Heeding a call from any other body would create a conflict within Orlando Pirates that would undermine the club's values and history irreparably."On Friday, BDS said: "There is nothing 'friendly' about playing a team representing apartheid Israel."As South Africans, football fans and solidarity activists against Israeli apartheid, we are calling on Orlando Pirates not to play a friendly match with Maccabi Tel Aviv scheduled for July 13 in Spain. There is nothing 'friendly' about playing a team representing apartheid Israel."

Pirates’ friendly with Israeli outfit Maccabi Tel Aviv to go ahead despite pro-Palestine protests

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