Issam Khalidi
Palestinian-Lebanese athletic relations go
back to the first decade of the twentieth century. These relations were based
on the foundation of national brotherhood and good neighborliness.
The
two people could overcome the fake lines which were drawn by the Sykes-Picot
Agreement. It has been almost one hundred years since colonial
powers divided the Arabs, although they are yet to respect the very boundaries
that they have created. Moreover, they have invested much time, energy,
resources and, at times, all out wars to ensure that the arbitrary division
never truly ends. [1] There
was a time not so long past when Lebanon and Palestine were the
political-territorial entities that their contemporary masters insist enjoy
ancient historical-mythological legitimacy. During the Turkish administration
there were no borders or checkpoint, no sovereign states with their 'security
dilemmas,' no chauvinistic nationalisms. But the arrival of the French and the
British after 1919 and the gradual implantation of the Zionist project marked
the beginnings of a partition between
the two areas that would harden and finally - since the 1960s - fester nearly
continuous bloodshed. [2]
In 1908, St. George's school football team was
formed. In 1909, it competed with the American
University of Beirut AUB (in Beirut). The match ended in favor of St. George’s
team.[3]
This was the first game an Arab team in Palestine competed with a foreign team.
The American University of Beirut had a significant influence on Palestinian
youth. It served as a Mecca for many Palestinian
young men - the majority from notable families –who sought for their higher
education. At the same time they were engaged in sports activities such as football
and tennis. In March, 1932 AUB
football team met with Al-Nadi
Al-Riyadi Al-Arabi (Arab
Sports Club) in Jerusalem. The AUB team won this match 4-1.[4] In January 1935, Nadi Al-Nahda (Renaissance Club) visited Palestine and competed with Shabab
al-Arab (established in 1934 in Haifa). Nadi al-Nahda won 5-0.[5] In
boxing, in September 1937, the Palestinian champion Adib Al-Dasuqi competed
with Mustafa al-Arna’out champion of Syria and Lebanon on the stage of Frere’s
School in Jaffa attended by the Mayor of Jaffa. In January 1938, they competed
in Beirut. The match ended in a draw.[6]
This Zionist leadership viewed
establishing athletic federations and committees as a means of achieving
overall Zionist goals of establishing and legitimating Zionist claims to
Palestine. These official organizations helped represent Palestine as "Jewish,"
both regionally and internationally, and were seen as instrumental in achieving
the leadership's national and political goals. Joining FIFA in 1929, gave
Palestine Football Association PFA the possibility to act as a representative of Palestine internationally .
It could control all athletic meeting with all teams in the region and
internationally. [7] In
1931 the (Arab) Palestine Sports Federation PSF was founded by a group of young
men as a reaction to the Jewish-dominated Palestine Football Association PFA. PSF was founded at a time when the Palestinian
national movement had to grapple with the fact that its traditional leadership
was ineffective in the face of a refusal by the British mandatory
administration to accord Palestinians the same degree of self-governance that
it had granted other Arabs such as the Egyptians and the Iraqis.[8]
Palestine-Lebanese
sports relations were subject to political conditions in Palestine. Jewish
teams had the lion's share of all the sports meetings for few reasons. First,
Arab
sport lagged behind Jewish sport. The Jews came to Palestine from developed
industrial societies. Definitely, they brought with them physical culture and
the culture of sports. They sought to represent Palestine by attracting Arab teams from neighboring countries at the
time when they maintained strong athletic relations with the British who in
exchange provided
adequate support in sports. Second, many teams from Arab countries have not
been able to compete with their Arab
counterpart in Palestine because of the Jewish-dominated Palestine Football Association which was
affiliated with FIFA and appeared as the representative of Palestine.
In April 1940, the
Lebanese National Team met with its Jewish counterpart (the
Zionists were representatives of
Palestine) in Tel Aviv, the latter won 5:1. Five members of the Lebanese team refused to take part
in this game. Jamil Sawaya, the President of LFA stated that sports is far from
politics from different aspects, "the purpose of this trip was to get
introduced to a neighboring country."[9]
The Maccabi organization sought to maintain
connections among its branches in the region (Egypt, Lebanon and
Syria). In May 1929 Palestine Bulletin reported that the Sephardic Union
and the "Haluzei Hamizrach" in Jerusalem gave a reception in honour of the 50 members of
"Maccabi" who arrived in Palestine from Beirut and Damascus for the
purpose of participating in the Palestine Maccabi Sports Meeting held at Tel
Aviv. Few days before they were feted by the Brith Trumpeldor Organization at
the Revisionist Club. They visited the historic places as well as the modern
institutions in Jerusalem. Syrian "Maccabeans" welcomed in Jerusalem the
leader of the Jewish settlers who were killed by remnants of the Arab Revolt at
Tel Hai in 1920, serves as the primary role model of the Betar.[10] The
Palestine Council of the Maccabi Sports Clubs held a conference in Tel-Aviv in
January 1930. Palestine Bulletin reported that the organization is
responsible for branch clubs that have recently been established in Beirut and
Damascus.[11]
Jewish teams
had plenty of sports meetings with Lebanese teams. Maccabi
Hashmonai scored 2 to 0 in a football match played with the students of the
American University of Beirut in March 1929. [12]Invited
by the Maccabi Club of Tel Aviv, the Renaissance Sportive Club, Beyrouth,
arrived in Palestine. A cordial reception was given to them at the station,
where they were welcomed by a large number of Maccabis headed by the Acting
President, Mr. Caspi. Dr. Salem and other members of the Renaissance Club
committee accompanied the visitors Football Team. The party were taken to the
Balfouria Hotel where everything possible was done to make their stay
enjoyable. The score was 3-2 in favor of the Maccabis.[13]
In June 1930 Palestine Bulletin mentioned that the “Maccabi” Tel Aviv, Football Cup Holders
of Palestine were invited by The Renaissance Sportive Club - champion of
Lebanon - for friendly football matches. Great preparations were made by the
Sportsmen of Lebanon and a fine reception was made to the guests. The first
football match between the two teams ended with a draw of 3-3.[14] In January 1931, Palestine Bulletin reported
that sportsmen in Palestine
will be interested to learn that the Hapoel, Tel-Aviv intends to visit Beirut
on February 27 and play with the American University and the Renaissance Club. [15] In April 1934, the Club
of International Sports of Beirut met with the Maccabi Petah Tikva at the
Levant Fair Olympiad,[16]
which was intended to promote the Jewish goods and to bring illegal Jewish
immigrants to Palestine. At the same time this fair included some sports
competitions. In June, 1935, the local Maccabi football team has been invited by
the Government of Lebanon to meet the Renaissance Club of Beirut today, in the
opening match of the Lebanese football season. The Government has given a
special cup for the winner of the match and is keenly interested in promoting
friendly athletic relations between Palestine and the Lebanon. The Syrian press
look upon the match as a forerunner of many future sports meeting between the
neighbouring countries.[17]
In April 1940, Palestine Football
Association invited the Lebanese national team to visit Palestine, the two
teams competed on Tel Aviv. Maccabi won 5-1. It is worth mentioning that five
players from the Lebanese team refused to take part in this match. The head of
the Lebanese Football Association stated that sports is far from politics from
different aspects; that the purpose of this trip is to get introduced to a
neighboring country.[18]It is a
long time, if fewer, since the Palestine Selected swimming team have had to bow
to such a superior side as they met at the Aley Pool. Of the six swimming events, the Lebanese team
won five, only the 200 metres free style being annexed by the Palestinians ,
although they registered an overwhelming success in water polo, to the tune of
eight goals to nil.[19]
In August 1943, a group
of Jewish swimmers from Palestine traveled to Lebanon to compete with the clubs
there. Nadi Lubnan Al-Riyadi defeated the Jewish team. The Lebanese
swimmer 'Abboud hit a record in the free style.[20]
In November 1944, Beirut selected swimming team - basketball and football - visited
Palestine. The swimming team competed with the Jewish Maccabi team at Beit
Galim in Haifa. The teams were accompanied by Nasif Majdalani the owner of the
newspaper Al-Haya Al-Riyadiyya (Sports Life) which was issued in Beirut,
and by Admon Malaki – treasurer of the Lebanese Swimming Association. Later,
both visited the office of Al-Difa newspaper.[21]
It is worth mentioning,
that in December 1945, the Arab League announced that its eseven member States
would boycott all Jewish-produced goods from Palestine beginning January 1st
1946. The league’s secretary-general, Abdul Rahman Azzam Bey,
said the boycott was ordered because Jewish industry in Palestine was “based on
Zionist funds, collected in foreign countries, to serve a political purpose:
the establishment of a Jewish national home and State in Palestine.”[22]
Directly, the Lebanese newspaper "L'Orient" reported about the 'anti-Zionist boycott' by its
political editor, M. Labake, in connection with the Tel Aviv Ski Club's
decision no longer to visit Lebanon. A letter from the Club had explained that in
view of the anti-Zionist boycott they preferred to ski in Cyprus. M. Labake
goes on to say that his article was written specially for consideration in
Cairo, Baghdad and Damascus, that they might know that the boycott had harmed
the Lebanon more than Palestine. The Lebanon was never a large client of
Palestinian industry, but Palestine was an important supplier, and in certain
cases an exclusive supplier. The Lebanon ceased obtaining from Palestine
chemical and pharmaceutical products which could not be had from Europe or
America, and Palestine had stopped buying Lebanese farm produce, which was now
being destroyed. The smuggling of Palestinian goods was continuing however, and
indeed becoming a kind of national institution. It was an expensive enterprise
doomed to failure. The article demands that the Arab league should consider the
payment of compensation to cover Lebanese losses, and concludes by asking why
Lebanese obedience to the Arab League was so poorly repaid. It is understood
that the "L'Orient" 's viewpoint is widely shared.[23]
The
PFA strengthened its connections with FIFA, and this cooperation far exceeded
the limits of good conscience. For example, the PFA used its newfound influence
to interfere with the forming of a Football Association in Syria (including
Lebanon which was considered as part of Syria). In a letter from the PFA to Dr. Schriker, the General
Secretary of F.I.F.A. on 18th November 1932: I intend soon to take
up the question of formation of a Football Association in Syria with the view
of having the football played there regulated by F.I.F.A. Do you have any views
on this matter? Shall I act on your behalf?
Following that, a letter was sent from the
secretary of FIFA to E. Chalutz, the
Secretary of Palestine Football Association on the 14th of
December 1932:
I noted with pleasure that
you are trying to organize football in this country and may thank [you] in
advance for the good work you are doing for the cause of international
football. As regards our views in this matter I may inform you that we have
been in correspondence with the ‘Club de la Renaissance Sportive’ (Beirouth,
P.O. Box 197) but the aspects as regards the
founding of a National Association were at that time very poor. You can as far
as necessary act on behalf of the F.I.F.A. if you think it may be useful to
have some moral assistance on that respect whilst I am with the greatest
pleasure willing to give you every information you might need. It would however
be very useful to know before taking any steps to know [sic] whether in Syria
[there] are enough elements to guaranty the existence of a National
Association. You will understand that it is not reasonable to found an
Association which has no or not enough possibilities to exist. It is on the
other hand not desirable that such organization be affiliated to the F.I.F.A.I
should by this reason be very much obliged to you if you would be so kind as to
give me your opinion about same in a report about football in Syria which I
will submit to my Committee and let you know our opinion about the
possibilities of founding an Association.
In
response to that, this letter was sent from the secretary of FIFA to PFA on 26th
of June 1933:
I may refer to my letter of
14th December 1932, replying to your favour of 18th
November, by which I wrote you that it would very much interest me if you could
let me have some information about football and football organization in Syria.
Did you receive in the meantime such information and would it be possible to
let me have same? The Turkish Football Association asked the F.I.F.A permission
to play some Syrian clubs. I replied that it is not well possible to give a
general permission to play clubs of that country, as not being affiliated to
our Federation, but that there is no objection to play exceptionally some
matches with Syrian in this respect that these relations will lead to the
affiliation of Syria to the F.I.F.A.
A
letter from the PFA to the FIFA on September 7th 1933:
I
have just recently been able to gather some more or less accurate information
about the Football in Syria. My investigation was protracted on account of
absence of a central authority on this Branch of Sports in that country. The
American University in Beirut seems to take the leading part in sports in
general but is not interested to form a central governing body for football.
There are a number of other clubs in other towns but there does not seem to be
any concrete desire among these to form an Association (the clubs being of a
secondary class in football).
This
fact however should not only, in my opinion, preclude foreign visiting teams
from playing local Syrian clubs but should bear out your contention expressed
in your letter of 28th June 1933 that a special and occasional
permission should be given to them when required. It is also my opinion that by
closer cooperation of the field of play and by generous and liberal
interpretation there. We adopt this attitude when our permission is sought by
our clubs to play Syrian and such is the course adopted by our neighboring
Egyptian Association. In any event Palestine Football Association warmly
recommends that the permission you refer to be granted to the Turkish Football
Association.
In a
letter dated January 18th 1935 from PFA to FIFA:
My
Committee expresses its very sincere satisfaction that another of our neighbors
entered the “International family” of football. We look upon it as the result
of the long series of visits of leading teams in Syria and the keen interest
taken by our Hon. Gen. Secretary to promote friendly relations between our two
countries (based on the correspondence from you dated 28th June,
1933 and ours of 7th September, 1933). My Committee emphasize that
however welcomed is the affiliation of the Lebanese Federation, it cannot
recommend that the permission to play local Arab team not yet members of this
Association should be granted, not even as an exceptional and temporary
measure. This concession will deprive this association of its sovereign rights
within our territory and will enable a foreign neighbouring Association to
interfere in the domestic affairs of its neighbor. In fact the prerogative of
seeking permission of this Central committee to arrange Games in the country or
abroad has actually kept within order, law and regulations many teams and has
to a great extent influenced the affiliation of the Lebanese Association. There
are only 3 Arab clubs of any technical importance though inferior to any club
of our 1st division teams which are taking part in the Divisions.
Leagues run by us. Up to the year 1930 all these teams were affiliated to his
Association. They withdrew their affiliation under pressure brought by
political leaders. Politics have thus been brought into the field of sports, a
much deplorable fact. We have ever since carried negotiation with them in a
very liberal spirit.
As soon
as the Lebanese Football Association was affiliated with FIFA it asked FIFA to
give it a permission to compete (during the season 1934-36) against Arab teams
in Palestine which were not members of PFA.[24]The
PFA tried to attract Arab teams from Arab countries, and at the same time
sought to distant the Arab Palestinians teams to compete with their brother’s
teams in other Arab counties.
A letter from FIFA to the PFA in 3rd
of September 1935:
I
have notice your communications regarding the question of an allowance of
matches to be played between clubs of the recently affiliated Federation
Lebanese de Football and Arab clubs of your county which are not –affiliated to
your Association; and I have informed the Lebanon F.A. of your refusal to grant
for the moment such a permission explaining them that you are negotiating with
these Arab clubs in a broadminded way in order to obtain the membership of
these elements. The best way would certainly be to bring these Arab clubs into
your Association and if the difficulties are not insurmountable I really hope
you may be successful. Whenever you can arrive to an arrangement you should
inform the Lebanon F.A. about the matte
FIFA then asked the PFA to inform all its’
clubs touring in foreign countries that a match against nonaffiliated clubs was
not allowed without the special consent of the International Federation, and
that for every match to be played in any country the permission of the
Association of the concerned country must be given. [25]The Zionists did not
only denied the existence of Arabs in
Palestine who were the indigenous people, moreover, they sought to marginalize
them from all cultural spheres including sports.
The Arab Palestine Sports
Federation was established in 1931. With the
outbreak of the 1936 Revolt, many sports activities among Arab population were
suspended. Arab teams were forced to join
PFA, and began to compete against the most extreme teams, such as Betar.
Few Arab clubs took part in Haifa, Jaffa and Jerusalem
leagues organized by the Jewish-dominated PFA. Among
the teams were Shabab al-Arab (Haifa), Tirsana (Haifa) , Islamic Sports Club (Haifa),
ISC (Jaffa) , Orthodox Club and Christians Clubs(Jerusalem). Other two Armenian
teams Hoychmen in Haifa and Homentmen in Jerusalem. However, respectively, in 1943, they began to withdraw
from this association. However, in 1942-43 they
withdrew their membership from this association. In September 1944, the Arab
Palestine Sports Federation was re-established (established in 1931 as a
response to the dominated PFA). Though APSF was not affiliated with FIFA, many
Arab neighboring clubs (including Lebanese) were attracted to compete with Arab
clubs and athletes in Palestine.
In September 1944, the Arab Palestine Sports
Federation APSF was re-established. Directly, it contacted all federations in the brother countries, informing
them that one of its main tasks was to sustain its relations with them. PSF
sent letters to all Arab sports federations informing them about the political
conditions in Palestine and its discontent
with the PFA's domination.
Later, the
meetings and cooperation between Palestine and Lebanon increased
proportionally. The Lebanese teams at that time (1944 - 1948) viewed Arab teams
in Palestine as a strong opponent. Also,
Lebanese Football Association supported PSF in its efforts to join FIFA.
Endnotes:
[1] Ramzi
Baroud ‘Plan B’ – Not an Enigma: Why the West is Keen on Dividing the Arabs,
http://www.ramzybaroud.net/plan-b-not-an-enigma-why-the-west-is-keen-on-dividing-the-arabs/?print=print
[2] Michael C. Hudson,
"Palestinians and Lebanon: The Common Story," Journal of Refugee
Studies Vol. 10, No. 3 1997, p. 243 -269.
https://mideast-africa.tau.ac.il/sites/humanities.tau.ac.il/files/media_server/mideast_africa/
[3]Walid Khalidi. Before their Diaspora: A
Photographic History of the Palestinians 1876-1948 (Beirut: Institute for Palestine Studies, 1984)
[7]For example, in 1924, the leadership of the Jewish
Maccabi athletic organization attempted to gain membership in the International
Amateur Athletic Federation. This initiative ended in failure as it was
determined that Maccabi did not represent Arab, British and Jewish sportsmen in
Palestine equally. However, this unsuccessful attempt did not discourage
Maccabi leader Josef Yekutieli, who in the beginning of 1925 attempted to gain
Maccabi membership in the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
Yekutieli decided to employ a different tactic this time: he first established
the Palestine Football Association PFA. The federation's inaugural meeting was
convened in the summer of 1928. Immediately, after being accepted in FIFA, the
Jewish leadership started to dominate the Palestine Football Association by
ensuring that Jews were the majority in it. This was accomplished by such
strategies as imposing the Hebrew language and incorporating the Jewish flag in
the federation's logo.
[8] Mustafa Kabha, "The Palestinian
press and the general strike, April - October 1936: Filastin as a case
study," Middle Eastern Studies, 29:3 (2003), 169-189.
[10]Palestine
Bulletin, 6 May 1929.
[11]Palestine Bulletin, 4 January 1930.
[21]Al-Difa, 8 November 1944.
[22] Vote Action Against Jewish Industry,
Charging Tie With Zionist and Political Aims, New York Times, 4 December 1945.
[23]
Palestine Post 15 March 1946
[24]FIFA Archive.August
6th 1935 a letter from FIFA to PFA
[25]FIFA
Archive, 4th September 1937
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