Celebrating the Supporters

The Qatar Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza arranged to show all the 2022 World Cup matches for free to Palestinians in two venues; the first being Gaza’s Saad Sail Hall and the second being the West Bank’s Ramallah Recreational Hall.

It was a cold day in Ramallah on December 10, 2022, as my friend Seraj describes. The Moroccan soccer team had just won a quarterfinal match, and the entire city was happy. Seraj and his friends decided to go to celebrate with the crowd at the main square. As they arrived, they saw many people dancing, singing, and waving Moroccan flags. The atmosphere was electric, and it felt like the whole Arab nation was united in their joy. The common brotherhood across the boundaries of countries and continents was palpable.

Our joy was short-lived.

Israeli military forces deployed in the area arrived of a sudden, attempting to disrupt our celebration. They fired tear gas at the crowd, causing chaos and panic. People were running in all directions, trying to escape the gas before the situation escalated. Some were even trampled as they tried to escape.

Seraj was terrified. He had never been in a situation like this until then and didn’t know what to do. He grabbed his friend’s hand and started running away from the tear gas.

Seraj says as they ran, he couldn’t help but feel angry and frustrated. This was supposed to be a happy moment and a time of celebration and unity. But the Israeli soldiers had arrived to spoil even this harmless occasion. They stifled our joy and curbed our right to enjoy.

Eventually, Seraj and his friends made it to safety, but the damage had already been done. The celebration was ruined, and many people were injured. The Israeli forces even arrested some people who resisted this disruption. It was a dark moment for our community, and what happened left a deep scar on my heart. Are we not even allowed to enjoy a sports moment because the winners support our cause?