Orlando Pirates have firmly rejected Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Coalition (BDS) calls to snub their pre-season friendly against Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The Soweto giants left South Africa for Spain at the weekend to begin their pre-season preparations. They will be based in Marbella until July 21, where they will play three friendly matches.
On Thursday, they will face Maccabi Tel Aviv, followed by Independiente del Valle two days later. To cap off their tour, Pirates will face UD Las Palmas on July 19.
Pirates clarified that they would not participate in the BDS campaign, which calls for a cultural and economic boycott of Israel to protest its treatment of Palestinians.
On Friday, BDS, a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality, released a statement urging Pirates to boycott their clash with Maccabi.
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PIRATES RESIST CALLS TO BOYCOTT ‘APARTHEID ISRAEL’
”There is nothing ‘friendly’ about playing a team representing apartheid Israel,” said BDS. “As South Africans, football fans and solidarity activists against Israeli apartheid, we are calling on Orlando Pirates not to play a friendly match with Maccabi Tel Aviv scheduled for July 13 in Spain.”.
The Buccaneers have since responded, explaining why they won’t snub the game.
Orlando Pirates’ core functioning is governed by rules. It is to the rules that Orlando Pirates went when confronted with calls to withdraw from playing Maccabi Tel Aviv,” reads the club statement, released on Monday.
“There is no cultural boycott or boycott of any form by either the South African government, Fifa or the host country that Orlando Pirates can base its refusal to play against Maccabi Tel Aviv on.
“Heeding a call from any other body would create a conflict within Orlando Pirates that would undermine the club’s values and history irreparably.”
THE PLIGHT OF THE PALESTINIANS
“As a club that has its roots in a conflict-ridden South Africa and has been an active participant in the dismantling of apartheid, Orlando Pirates is naturally conscious of the plight of the Palestinian people.
“Of the many forces that seek a long overdue solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Orlando Pirates stand with those that believe a path exists for men and women of courage to continue coming together to find a lasting solution that South Africa proved to the world can be found when there is a will and courage. “