I am not a fan of sports, nor am I a follower of its events, teams, and soccer stars, but I found myself attracted to watching the matches in which the Arab countries participated in the World Cup in Qatar, and it seems that this was the case for many non-spherical fans like me who sided with the Arab teams by virtue of belonging and feeling challenged. And a desire to experience the feeling of victory, even if it was spherical, in light of the reality of defeat that the nation is experiencing!
This time everyone, footballers and others, participated in following up the details of the matches, the winners and losers in them, the beautiful goals, the missed opportunities and the famous stars of the round, but this interest focused on the four participating Arab teams, which competed against other foreign teams.
Perhaps one of the advantages of the lottery is that it did not pit any Arab team against another Arab team, which united the Arab masses in supporting all Arab teams without exception.
This comes because this World Cup had a special Arab flavor that distinguished it from others, especially since Qatar was able to prove its superiority and competence in managing such a major event, which made it the envy of others.
There is no doubt that Doha was cleverly able to confront the fierce Western attack on it in the files of perverts and human rights, and was able to expose Western hypocrisy, and affirm Arab and Islamic culture in the face of Western vice culture, in a resounding success that added to the World Cup its own flavor, and achieved unity that brought together the Arab peoples in defense about its culture and religion.
Many have touched on what Qatar has achieved in terms of protecting and consecrating cultural identity in the World Cup, and therefore I will focus in this article on how the Palestinian cause imposed its distinguished presence in the World Cup.
The fans of Tunisia and Morocco excelled in raising large Palestinian flags in the matches, and the Moroccan fans chanted songs for Palestine and its resistance in the fan areas, while a Tunisian fan carried the Palestinian flag wearing the well-known Tunisian hat, and floated it in the stadium after the end of the Tunisia-France match.
Palestine World Cup
Memories of the World Cup have always been associated with Israel launching two wars against the Palestinian and Lebanese resistances in 1982 and 2006. The 2022 World Cup came at a time when the Palestinian territories are witnessing heroic epics in the West Bank against the occupation forces, which escalated their oppression and terror against the Palestinians, in conjunction with the advent of a Zionist government that is the most right-wing in history. Occupation.
The holding of the World Cup on the territory of an Arab country known for its permanent support for the Palestinians had a great impact on the Palestinian and Arab interaction with the Palestinian cause, something that did not happen in any previous World Cup tournament.
No, rather, some of the previous championships distracted the masses from following the Israeli aggression, and formed a cover for the entity's crimes against the Palestinians and the Lebanese.
In a different way from the previous sessions, the Palestinians found this time great support for them from the Arab masses by raising the Palestinian flags, not only in the stands and cheering for Palestine, but also by wearing the Palestinian flag and holding activities in support of Palestine in the fan areas as well, to the point that prompted some to say that Palestine is the present. Absent in the game and it is the 33 team participating in the tournament.
On this sporting occasion, the Arab masses found on Arab soil an available space to express their longing, love, and support for the resistance of the Palestinian people. The masses of Tunisia and Morocco excelled in raising large Palestinian flags in the matches, and the Moroccan fans chanted songs for Palestine and its resistance in the fan areas, while a Tunisian fan carried The Palestinian flag, wearing the well-known Tunisian hat, and floated it in the stadium after the end of the Tunisia-France match.
It is remarkable that the masses of Morocco, whose government expanded its relations with the occupation and normalization with it, were the most prominent in interaction with Palestine, which confirms that the peoples are in one valley and their normalized governments are in another valley.
This was not a symbolic matter or a fleeting interaction, but it is a true expression of Palestine's position in the nation, and it is also linked to the daily heroism and sacrifices that the Palestinian people make and confront the occupation that makes the masses of the nation in contact and interaction with it, especially as they see the extent of oppression and Zionist killing and violation of sanctities.
This reaffirms that the cause of the Palestinian people imposes its presence in the hearts and consciences of the people of the nation, despite the surgeries and pains they are subjected to under corrupt and tyrannical regimes. Even in football events that people attend for fun and entertainment, the Palestinian cause was at the heart of the scene, until it was said that This World Cup is truly the "World Cup of Palestine".
There is no doubt that the Palestinian people, who inspire the Arab peoples with their resistance, derive support from the Arab peoples, and realize that their nation stands with them and will not let them down, which strengthens their steadfastness and increases their motivation to confront the occupation and confront it.
An outcast entity and rejected normalization
This support is inseparable from the widespread rejection of the masses of the nation to normalization with the Zionist entity.
Although Doha, by virtue of FIFA's constraints, allowed the Israelis and their media to attend the World Cup, they were not at all happy with the overwhelming popular rejection of them, which was clearly and remarkably expressed by their journalists.
Israeli journalists found themselves ostracized by the Arab masses, and social media, especially TikTok, was replete with the honorable positions of the Arabs, who not only refused to interview Israeli journalists, but also despised, disdained, and challenged them with pro-Palestinian chants and raising Palestinian flags in front of their cameras.
I am almost certain that had it not been for calculating the consequences and not wanting to embarrass the host countries, the Arab citizens would have emptied their anger and hatred because of the continued Zionist oppression and oppression of the Palestinian people, which never stopped in the World Cup.
The Israeli press correspondents tried to interact with the masses because this is part of their job to which they were sent to the World Cup, and it does not seem that most of them were surprised by the popular Arab rejection of them, but they may have thought that the "Abraham Accords" would reduce the size of the rejection for them, unaware that wherever it is available to the Arab citizen His freedom to express his opinion, he will not hesitate to condemn the occupation entity, and not just refuse to deal with it in minimal behavior, simply because their success in normalizing relations with 4 Arab countries recently does not mean a change in the Arab street's view of them.
The Abraham Accords, despite the efforts made for them, cannot convince an Arab child that peace can be achieved with an entity that torments the Palestinians day and night, kills their children, and desecrates their sanctities, property, and land.
The masses cannot ignore the violent, hateful and racist rhetoric launched by the Zionists, including the chant of "Death to the Arabs" and the chant against the Messenger - may God bless him and grant him peace - and the continuous violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its desecration with the carpets of the occupation soldiers.
Nor can the oppression of Arab governments - whatever its extent - change the conviction of the masses who believe that Palestine is an occupied land, and are linked to Jerusalem and sanctify the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which the entity violates every day, and is transmitted by television screens and means of communication.
Why are the Israelis surprised?!
Some Israeli journalists appeared in the widespread “Tik Tok” clips, surprised by the extent of the rejection and contempt for them, and some of them recounted the experience of a bitter day that he went through, starting from the taxi driver’s refusal to deliver him, to the owner of the restaurant who expelled him, while others were brazen in their argument with the masses until they heard Categorical words restrained them.
It is true that it was not the rejection in itself that surprised the Israelis, but rather its size and level, which embarrassed and stunned them and prompted them, at times, to lie about their nationality.
However, the Israeli press tried to exploit this comprehensive Arab rejection of the entity, to try to sympathize with the West, and the most dangerous thing is to incite governments against the Arab peoples, and alert them to the need to suppress and control this Arab-Islamic nationalist feeling, and to warn that the Abraham Accords cannot bear fruit unless they reach the people. .
This does not diminish the deep implications that the World Cup devoted to the Arab popular rejection of normalization with the entity, a rejection that indicates the failure of all normalization projects to destabilize the Arabs' commitment to their cause and their attachment to their sanctities, especially since the entity confirms on a daily basis that it does not seek peace or normalization.
Distinguished World Cup
Qatar has organized a distinguished version of the World Cup, whose success was not limited to organizational and technical measures, but also in terms of values, morals and civilization.
The Palestinian presence would not have expressed itself in this remarkable way had it not been for the space of freedom and support granted by the organizing body to the masses to express their positions and longings for Palestine and its cause.
The World Cup resulted in a clear and clear political message, that the Palestinian cause cannot be removed from the minds and souls of the nation, and that if these masses were allowed to express their position, we would witness a different situation in the Arab countries, and unlimited support for Palestine and the resistance.
As for the issue of normalization, it will remain confined to the official framework, and it does not seem that there is any chance for it to be accepted in popular circles, and no matter how narrow the scope of opinion in the Arab countries, this will not lead to these peoples agreeing to normalization or following it.
Perhaps the call of the former occupation ambassador in Cairo, Yitzhak Levanon, to conclude peace agreements with the Arab peoples, and not with the regimes, was a clear indication in this context, and perhaps a veiled incitement against the Arab peoples.