Al-Qalam 
By Al Qalam Reporter
The South African BDS Coalition was “alarmed and dismayed” to hear reports that the SA Sevens rugby team was due to train with their Israeli counterparts – but this has been denied by SA Rugby who said the Israeli team would only be holding a training camp at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport.
In a statement, the BDS Coalition said: “We welcome the response from SA Rugby indicating that this is not to be the case. However, the statement suggested the Israeli team was still due to be hosted by the South African training academy. We affirm that no South African sports team or institution should engage with Israeli ones. The state of Israel oversees an apartheid regime throughout Israel and the occupied territories whilst maintaining a brutal siege over the millions of people living in Gaza.
“For those who say that politics does not belong in sport we would point to the fact that just last year Israel cancelled the Palestine national football club championship. This follows a historical practice formally condemned by FIFA. These are just another set of the “normal” but cruel everyday abuses of the Palestinian people. Children in Gaza cannot even play football on their beaches without risk of being murdered by advanced military missiles.
“However, the most important reason for South African sport to stand with Palestinians is because of their support for our own struggle against apartheid. The boycott of South African sports teams played a critical role in undermining the apartheid regime. The apartheid government and those who supported it could no longer hide their abuses and the boycott served to isolate them on the international stage. Such boycotts are powerful non-violent action, that all who care about guaranteeing humanity, justice and rights for all, must take up. Palestinians are being denied all the universal rights our constitution guarantees. International law and the UN are clear on what is required by Israel to end its oppression of Palestine.
Earlier, the ANCYL sent out a statement saying it was disturbed by a reported upcoming rugby camp involving the Blitzbokke and Israel, saying it would be an unacceptable misuse of “our sporting team”.
