Jordann Daily -The official account of the Palestinian mission to the UN posted a message on social media platform X mocking Argentina and Israel after Spain beat the South Americans on Sunday to win the FIFA World Cup.
Alongside a photo of the Spanish national team and the caption “Campeones del Mundo” (world champions), the account reposted a tweet by the Israeli prime minister’s office that showed the Argentine ambassador to Israel, Shimon Axel Wahnish, presenting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with an Argentina soccer shirt and ball after he voiced support for the team in the final.
By Monday the post had been viewed almost 11 million times.
Spain won the final 1-0 thanks to a goal from Ferran Torres in extra time, dashing the 2022 winners’ hopes of retaining the trophy in what was likely to be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup campaign.
Netanyahu openly backed the South Americans in the run-up to the final, saying on Saturday: “We support Argentina in so many ways. I think most Israeli citizens are rooting for Argentina. Good luck. Vamos Argentina.”
Netanyahu and the Argentine president, Javier Milei, have developed close ties, with the former describing the latter as a “great friend” to Israel. Milei has described himself as “the most Zionist president in the world.”
Spain, meanwhile, has been one of Israel’s sharpest critics, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Football-related tensions rose when Spanish forward Lamine Yamal waved a Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s title celebrations this year. Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, accused the player of inciting hatred against Israel but the gesture drew support from Palestinians, with murals of the 19-year-old appearing in Gaza.
The war in Gaza has also prompted wider protests in football, including a “Show Israel the Red Card” campaign by supporters of Scottish champions Glasgow Celtic. Human rights groups and fans have renewed calls for FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel from international competitions, citing as reasons the deaths of Palestinian athletes, Israeli clubs linked to illegal settlements, and alleged discrimination against Arab players.
The Palestinian Football Association has been pressing for Israel to be suspended in the same way Russia was excluded following its invasion of Ukraine. Israel competed in the World Cup qualifiers but failed to advance to the finals.
Arab News
