DOHA (Dispatches) –
Notorious pro-Zionist campaign group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has protested against the waving of the Palestinian flag by the football team at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
According to the Jewish Chronicle, the London based charity wrote to FIFA Disciplinary Committee Chair Jorge Palacio accusing Morocco of breaching FIFA rules.
Palacio was asked by UKLFI to open an immediate investigation and that he pronounce interim measures to prevent the move at the semi-final and at the final of third place playoff.
The Palestinian flag has been ubiquitous throughout the tournament in Qatar. The red, white, black and green colors of the Palestinian flag can be seen in stadiums, markets, restaurants and the metro. Arab and African nations playing in the tournament have also raised the Palestinian colors alongside their national flag.
Morocco has celebrated every victory by raising the Palestinian flag. The flag of Qatar has also been raised by Moroccan players, but UKLFI does not appear to have raised any objection to that in its complaint to FIFA.
The pro-Zionist lobby group has become notorious for its support for the apartheid regime. In one of its many campaigns UKLFI pressured an examining board to amend its textbook on the Zionist regime and Palestine. The amendments were slammed as Zionist propaganda and the textbook was withdrawn.
UKLFI’s relationship with far-right Zionist groups has also been a cause of concern including amongst British Jews who in 2019 urged patrons of UKLFI to resign over a highly controversial event with a “far-right”, pro-settler Zionist group.