The British government has criticized the English Football Association’s decision not to light the Wembley Arch in Israeli colors for Friday’s friendly match against Australia.
Black armbands will be worn by both sets of players, and there will be a period of silence before kick-off during which there will be support for the Red Cross appeal to help those affected in the region.
But the arch will not be illuminated as has been the case on several occasions, notably last year with the colors of Ukraine following the invasion of the country by Russia, the French flag after the terrorist attacks in the country in 2015 and the Turkish colors after another terrorist attack. incident a year later.
“On Friday evening we will remember the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine,” the FA said in a statement on Thursday.
“Our thoughts are with them, their families and friends in England and Australia, and all communities affected by this ongoing conflict. We stand for humanity and an end to death, violence , fear and suffering.”
On Saturday, Hamas, an Islamist militant group that governs Gaza, launched a deadly attack on Israel, which officially declared war on Hamas a day later. The conflict left more than 2,500 dead on both sides and thousands injured.
The FA confirmed that all flags and replicas of Israel and Palestine would be banned from Wembley, but later in the day Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer condemned the decision not to light up the arch.
“I am extremely disappointed by the FA’s decision not to light the arch at Wembley Stadium following last weekend’s horrific terrorist attacks in Israel and have made my views clear to the FA,” Fraser wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“This is particularly disappointing in light of the FA’s bold stance in the face of other terrorist attacks in the recent past. Words and actions matter. The government is clear: we stand with Israel.”
The British government had advised the FA earlier this week to “mark events appropriately, in line with previous events where the sport has come together”, according to a letter sent to British sporting bodies by Frazer.
Sources told ESPN that one of the factors behind the decision not to light the arch was the fact that Friday’s opponents Australia would play a World Cup qualifier against Palestine next month. next.
Asked about the FA’s decision, Gareth Southgate said: “First of all [there have been] incredibly poignant images. [Our] my thoughts and feelings go out to all those who suffered, who lost relatives and friends in these attacks. It’s incredibly disturbing to see.
“On a broader scale, in my lifetime, this is one of the most complex situations in the world and I think everyone is wondering how best to deal with it.
“I don’t know what it’s like to put yourself in the shoes of people on both sides of this conflict. What I do know is that people at the FA will have consulted everyone possible and tried to make the best decision with good intentions.
“Obviously whatever decision they would have reached would have been criticized in one way or another, so I also recognize how difficult it was for them. I was not involved in these discussions, [but] They lasted a long time, I know.
“They have decided to take the position that they have taken and we will continue to do so.”
