Argentina called off its World Cup warmup match with Israel "following pressure" from Palestinian football officials and int'l campaign groups, according to Josie Ensor of the London TELEGRAPH. The friendly was planned for Saturday in Jerusalem, but the team announced it "would not be taking part." The sold-out game was opposed by Palestinians, who claim the eastern part of the city, annexed by Israel, as the capital of their future state. However, the Israeli embassy in Argentina blamed what it called "threats and provocations" against Barcelona's Lionel Messi. Palestinian FA Head Jibril Rajoub encouraged fans to "burn shirts bearing Messi's name if he decided to play." He said on Wednesday that the decision was a "red card from everyone to the Israelis" (TELEGRAPH, 6/6). The BBC reported Israel Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that it was "too bad" Argentina's footballers did not "withstand the pressure of the Israeli-hating inciters." He tweeted, "We will not yield before a pack of anti-Semitic terrorist supporters." The Israeli embassy in Argentina tweeted to confirm that the friendly had been "suspended." Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie said that he believed his country's footballers "were not willing to play the game." Argentine int'l Gonzalo Higuaín said, "In the end, they've done the right thing, and this is behind us. Health and common sense come first. We felt that it wasn't right to go" (BBC, 6/6). REUTERS' Andrew Downie reported Palestinians "celebrated the cancellation." In Gaza, people cheered and in Ramallah in the West Bank, the Palestinian FA issued a statement "thanking Messi and his colleagues for cancelling the game" (REUTERS, 6/5).
ISRAELI DEMANDS: REUTERS' Lewis & Sawafta reported Israel demanded FIFA investigate what it said were "threats against Argentina players." Israeli Sports Minister Miri Regev, who pushed for the game to be moved from Haifa to Jerusalem, "dismissed accusations that her demand had caused its cancellation" and said that Messi, his teammates and his family had been threatened by "terror elements." Regev said, "The decision behind the cancellation is because of one reason only, the threats by terror elements sent to Messi, his family and to other players in the Argentina team." Argentine FA President Claudio Tapia said earlier on Wednesday that there were "threats" but gave no details. Israeli FA President Ofer Eini said, "I don't think that the people who run world soccer can ignore this" (REUTERS, 6/6).
