Rajoub Refuses Handshake with Israeli Counterpart at FIFA Congress

From the perspective of El Watan, a publication in Algeria, the FIFA Congress in Vancouver was a stage for a significant moral stand by Palestinian Football Association President Djibril Rajoub. The article frames Infantino's attempt to photograph a handshake between Rajoub and the Israeli representative not as a diplomatic gesture, but as a calculated maneuver to legitimize and 'absolve' Israel of its alleged crimes in Palestine. The narrative emphasizes Rajoub's unwavering refusal, portraying it as a victory against a 'genocidal state.'

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L’échange de la poignée de main aurait fait le tour du monde… et absout les sionistes de tous les crimes qu’ils commettent en Palestine depuis plus d’un demi-siècle.

El Watan highlights the Palestinian leadership's long-standing efforts to have the Israeli football federation excluded from FIFA, recalling past attempts in Sao Paulo. The article criticizes Infantino for not prioritizing these calls for exclusion, suggesting he wasted an opportunity to address what the publication views as a fundamental injustice. The narrative positions Rajoub's refusal as a principled act that resonated with delegates, contrasting it with the perceived appeasement favored by FIFA leadership.

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Le Palestinien est monté en tribune mais a catégoriquement refusé la proposition du président de la FIFA.

This event is presented as more than just a missed photo opportunity; it's a symbolic rejection of normalization with an entity accused of severe human rights violations. The Algerian perspective, as reflected by El Watan, underscores the deep-seated solidarity with the Palestinian cause and a critical view of international bodies that appear to overlook or downplay the conflict's realities. The article implicitly critiques Western media's potential tendency to frame such events neutrally, arguing that the true significance lies in the moral and political statement made by Rajoub's defiance.

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Il a pris à témoin les délégués des associations présents au congrès de la FIFA à Vancouver (Canada) pour signifier son refus total et absolu de salir sa main avec le représentant d’un Etat génocidaire.