Issam Khalidi
Throughout decades sport was a mirror that reflected Palestinian
reality; it portrayed this reality with all its details throughout different
historical stages. Sports development has often been parallel to and
overlapping with political developments. The Palestinian struggle has always
been multilateral and sport was one of them.
The main reason in
writing about leaders and activists in sports is to revive our memory about their
achievements, struggle and heroism. Their names were hidden because of the negligence
and forgetfulness. These people were able to make history at a time
when the international community turned blind eyes on the Palestinian issue. They
exploited sports to achieve
national goals; desperately sought to demonstrate the Palestinian
national identity to the world; to prove the
existence of the Palestinian people. They believed that patriotism
is not only about taking arms, rather about using all means
of struggle - political, social and cultural (including athletic). What distinguishes these
activists is their diligence, perseverance and determination to convey the
message of the Palestinian people to the world and its
sporting federations.
Elias Manneh
was born in Jaffa. During the Nakba, he took up arms in defense of Palestine. Manneh
and his family left Jaffa late during the Nakba, and due to the lack of
transportation by land he had to flee to Gaza by sea with his family and others
in a small boat that was going to
drown at any time. They stayed at sea trying to reach the port of Ashdod
in northern Gaza Strip. After arriving at the beach, they took a truck in Deir
Snit area in Jabalya in northern Gaza – despite the dangerous conditions in
this area. However, they could arrive to Gaza.[1]
Manneh was a football player and an active
member of the YMCA in Gaza. Later, he became a member of board of directors of
this association. He worked for UNRWA and received many promotions until he
became acting Commissioner-General in Gaza.[2]
Compared
to other Arab countries, Egypt had the prominent athletic prestige. Being under Egyptian administration since early
1950s, the Gaza Sector witnessed a rapid growth in sports. The Egyptian
administration established the “Regional Committee for Youth Care,” which was
headed by the General Governor, and included 25 members, most of whom were
sports leaders. The Supreme Committee of Youth in Cairo supported this regional
committee financially and technically. Several other committees emerged from the
regional committee such as national education and sports committees. Through
these committees, the regional committee organized and supervised the sports
movement, which included fifteen other departments, such as the Social Services
Centers and Youth Care in Gaza, Deir al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Rafah, YMCA in Gaza,
and the al-Awda Club for Arab employees in the UN. Palestinian sport found its
way during that period; the Egyptian authorities provided sufficient support to
the Palestinians in sports. This support
was shown in Egypt’s assistance in training and preparing qualified coaches, as
well as the exchange of athletic delegations.
Proudly, the Palestinians in the Gaza Sector could represent Palestine
in the international arena. There can be
no doubt that Egypt offered its full support to the Palestinians in order to
achieve this goal. During that time, Palestine participated in the Pan Arab
tournament in Alexandria in 1953, where it won third place. [3]
In 1962, Manneh and Subhi Farah, Zaki Khayal, Ishak
Nashashibi, Abdel Qader Judeh and Yahya Al-Sharif established the Palestinian
Football Federation, or what was officially called (the Palestinian Sports
Federation - Football Committee) in Gaza. This
federation was a continuation of the Arab Palestine Sports Federation which was
found in Palestine before the Nakba (the tragedy of 1948). Manneh became its General
Secretary. One of its goals was to join FIFA, despite its expectations that the
latter will pose
obstacles in front of this request, especially since it was not the first time
that the Palestinians have applied to join the International Federation. It is known that the Palestinian Sports
Federation applied to join FIFA in 1946 and 1951, but its application was
rejected.[4]
Here is a review about the
correspondence of Elias Manneh and the International Football Federation FIFA. The
author publishes it as it is because of its historical value and great
significance. Manneh and his companions were able tirelessly
and determinedly to provide everything
FIFA required in order to complete the process of affiliation which they saw as
an essential national goal.
In August 1963 a letter was signed by the
secretary of the Arab PFA Elias Manneh and sent to the Secretary of FIFA:
May I submit the following for your kind
consideration. A Football Federation has
been established in Palestine Gaza Strip in 1962 which was the outcome of a
long and fruitful experience. The clubs
affiliated to the Federation are 15 in number.
The Football players actively engaged who are above the age of 17 years
are 1200 and those who are below that age is 3000 approximately. So far three other Federations in Palestine
have been accepted in their respective Federations, name Boxing, Weightlifting
and Basketball. I enclose herewith a
summary detailing the information which clarifies our position. We are ready to fulfill all obligations and
we earnestly hope that our application for affiliation to the F.I.F.A. will be
kindly and justly accepted, for which act of kindness I am to thank you in
anticipation.[5]
The Association was constituted from the clubs and sporting
bodies in Gaza Strip.
The Board of Directors of the Association were: President –
Subhi Farah, Vice President – Ishaq Nashashibi, General Secretary – Elias
Manneh, Treasurer – Abdel Qader Judah, and Member – Yihya Sharif.
Later the PFA
received a letter from Dr. H. Kaser FIFA’s secretary to Elias Manneh:
With reference to our previous correspondence we should like
to ask you to let us have an up to date statistical information about football
in your area.”[6]
Later, PFA sent a letter to FIFA, dated the 23rd
of November, 1964:
May I take this opportunity to refere to your letter in
which we have been informed that our request for affiliation of our Federation
to FIFA will be submitted to the Executive Committee at their meeting of
October 6th, 1964 in Tokyo. Accordingly,
we have delegated three representatives to attend this meeting in Tokyo. In spite of the high expenses occurred for
the travel of our representatives to Tokyo, they were faced with the fact that
our request for affiliation to FIFA was not enrolled on the Agenda as advised
in your above referenced letter. It
would be highly appreciated if you would kindly advise us of the reasons for
which our request was omitted from the Agenda although all our documents,
statistics, informations, etc. were supplied to you long time ago and we
believe that there are no excuses to prevent presenting our request in the
meeting in Tokyo.”[7]
In this letter the PFA made it clear to FIFA that:
At the termination
of the British Mandate, a Palestinian National Assembly met in September 1948
in the Gaza Strip and set up a Government of all Palestine, which has been
recognized by the League of Arab States, the regional organization in that area
comprising thirteen states, of which twelve are members of the U.N. Not only
does a legal Palestine Government exist, but it is recognized and participated
as a full-fledged member of the League of Arab States. Furthermore, in Gaza Strip, which is a part of
the territory of Palestine, there exists an Arab Palestinian administration, a
constitutionally elected legislative Assembly and a national army. As a matter of fact, although Gaza
constitutes only part of the Arab State of Palestine it has, nevertheless all
the elements of sovereignty. If the
Palestine Government has chosen not to apply for U. N. membership in protest
against the great injustice that has befallen it, this can never be considered
as invalidating the legal existence of Palestine. The Palestinian Government however, has been
represented continuously in the U.N. whenever the Palestine issue came up for
discussion. In bringing forward these
facts to your kind attention we hope that you would find that the admission of
the Palestine Football Federation to the F.I.F.A. is legal and that you will
give our application further consideration.[8]
FIFA considered
that the status of the Gaza Sector was the main obstacle in the registration of
the PFA. On 2nd of December,
a letter was sent from FIFA to the United Nations, which had been forwarded by
the European Office of the United Nations in Geneva, informing the UN that the
Palestine Sports Football Federation, with Headquarters in Gaza, has requested
affiliation with FIFA, and inquired of the UN the legal status of Gaza:
The information
which you note in the fourth paragraph of your letter appears to be
substantially correct. So far as the
United Nations is concerned the status of Gaza is governed by the
Egyptian-Israeli General Armistice Agreement, signed at Rhodes on 24 February
1949. Under this General Armistice
Agreement Gaza is a “territory under the control” of Egypt (now the United Arab
Republic). The Agreement specifically
provides that it is not intended to prejudice the rights, claims or interests
of a non-military character in the area of Palestine.
While Israel has
taken the position that the General Armistice Agreement with Egypt is no longer
in force, the United Arab Republic and the United Nations do not accept this
view. In any event, Gaza remains
“territory under the control” of the United Arab Republic and for which the UAR
is internationally responsible. If you
should wish for which the UAR is internationally responsible.[9]
Later PFA received a letter from FIFA dated 24 December,
1964:
With reference to previous correspondence I
would like to inform you that one difficulty has arisen, that is to know the
exact status of your country. As soon as
UNO [United Nations Organization] answers our question we hope to be able to
submit your application to the competent committee but this will not be before
the end of February 1965. If you are
able to let us know your exact political status would you please be so kind as
to write to us again.[10]
A letter from the
United Nations to the FIFA (received on February 9th 1965):
I wish to refer to
your letter of 2 December 1964 which has been forwarding to me by the European
Office of the United Nations in Geneva. Your letter informs us that the
Palestine Sports Football Federation with headquarters in Gaza has requested
affiliation with your Association and you inquire concerning the status of
Gaza.
The information
which you note in the fourth paragraph of your letter appears to be
substantially correct. So far, the
United Nations is concerned the status of Gaza is governed by Egyptian Israeli
General Armistice Agreement, signed at Rhodes on 24 February 1949. Under this General Armistice Agreement Gaza
is a “territory under control” of Egypt (now the United Arab Republic). The Agreement specifically provides that it
is not intended to prejudice the rights, claims or interests of a non-military
character in the area of Palestine.
While Israel has
taken the portion that the general Armistice Agreement with Egypt is no longer
in force, the United Arab Republic and the United Nations do not accept this
view. In any event Gaza remains
territory under the control of the United Arab Republic and for which UAR is
internationally responsible. If should
wish detailed information concerning the exercise of governmental territory
within the Gaza area, this could be obtained most authoritatively from the
Government of the United Arab Republic.[11]
On the 28th of May, 1965, the PFA received a telegram from
FIFA informing them about the rejection of their application:
We firmly object exepting [sic. accepting] a District called
Gaza as a member of FIFA. There is no
country called Palestine, therefore Gaza cannot be in Palestine. The exeptance [sic. acceptance] of a part of
a country as an independent member is contrary to the FIFA regulations.
FIFA to PFA 2nd June 1965,
At its last
meeting, the Executive Committee of FIFA carefully examined your application
for provisional membership. We are sorry
to inform you that the Executive Committee did not feel itself in a position to
admit your Association to provisional membership because of the status of your
territory, which is a territory under control and not an independent nation,
colony, dominion or protectorate. The
conditions of Article 1, paragraph 3 of the FIFA statutes are not fulfilled.[12]
Later, in a letter
to FIFA, Elias Manneh gave a brief historical explanation about the status of
Gaza, and refuted the claims that Gaza was a “territory under control” of
Egypt.14 FIFA responded that it was not ignorant of the historical
facts the PFA mentioned, but did not wish to enter into arguments of a
political nature.[13]
In
1965, with Zaki Khayyal and Subhi Farah, he led the delegation that took part
in the fourth Pan Arab Games in Cairo. Also, with Zakki Khayyal and Zuheir
Dabbagh he led the delegation that took part in the Games of the New Emerging Forces (GANEFO) in Cambodia in 1966.
Every success that had been achieved later
was a result of these men’s efforts. These heroes - like Elias Manneh - went
into the historical records of Palestinian sports. They are the real ‘makers’
of its history, who without their sacrifices sports would not have been
succeeded. That’s why they deserve respect and appreciation.
Notes and references:
[1] An interview with Elias Manneh’s son Sami
Manneh with Nelly Al-Masri.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Issam Khalidi, National Identity VS. Diaspora:
Palestinian Sports 1948 – 1967. www.hpalestinesports.net
[4] Issam Khalidi,
Palestine’s Bid to Join the International Football Association FIFA 1945 –
1998.
www.hpalestinesports.net
[5] FIFA Archive.
[6] FIFA Archive,13
November 1964
[7] FIFA Archive.
[8] FIFA Archive.
[9] FIFA Archive.
[10] FIFA Archive.
[11] FIFA Archive.
[12] FIFA Archive.
[13] FIFA Archive.February10th,
1966.
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