Know why are Premier League players wearing black armbands today in 2023-24ย
Premier League players are all set to wear black armbands across all games this weekend as a tribute to Israeli and Palestinian victims, check out all the reasons behind it explained.
Aside from the black armbands, players will also observe a minute of silence ahead of the official kickoff.
Why are Premier League players wearing black armbands today in 2023 during Israel vs Hamas war
The Premier League announces solidarity with Palestine & the Zionists and announces that players and coaches will wear a black armband during the next round in the Premier League, and there will be a minute of silence as well, as well as a donation box pic.twitter.com/3vvLhV34dp
— FOOTY HUB (@Footyhub01) October 12, 2023
The Premier League has confirmed that the first round of fixtures after the international break will see players, managers and officials wearing black armbands โas a mark of respect for all those affectedโ by the Israel-Gaza war.https://t.co/3Qu1HXQRgN
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) October 12, 2023
Israel and Palestine are currently embroiled in a series of violent attacks against one another resulting in countless of deaths and injuries.
Premier League players set to wear black armbands
Back on October 12, the Premier League issued an official statement saying:
The Premier League is shocked and saddened by the escalating crisis in Israel and Gaza, and strongly condemns the horrific and brutal acts of violence against innocent civilians. We hope for peace, and our heartfelt sympathies are with the victims, their families and the communities impacted.โ
The statement further added:
As a mark of respect for all those affected, Premier League players, managers and match officials will wear black armbands and observe a momentโs silence at the fixtures taking place from Saturday 21 to Monday 23 October. The league will also make a donation to the British Red Cross to support the aid efforts helping those in urgent need.โ
Meanwhile, the FA also issued a similar statement ahead of Englandโs friendly against Australia on October 13. Ahead of the kickoff, there was a minuteโs silence with both teams wearing black armbands. However, the Wembley arch did not feature any colours of the Israel flag and also banned fans from bringing in any other flags aside from those of the competing teams. Further reports indicate that the Premier League clubs will receive a renewed guidance on what kind of flags, banners and other potentially politically sensitive material will be allowed into the grounds during matches.
Delayed response sparks crticism
Although the Premier League came out with the statement just five days after the wave of conflict began, it has sparked some criticism from various quarters due to its delayed response. ย Notably, Erez Halfon chairman, Israeli Professional Football Leagues issued an open letter to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters. In the letter, Erez stated how many countries have come out to express their unequivocal support to Israel.
He pointed out how many of the worldโs greatest monuments were lit up in blue and white, or with the Israeli flag. Erez also recalled how Franceโs President Macron, Germanyโs Chancellor Scholz, Italyโs Prime Minister Meloni, the United Kingdomโs Prime Minister Sunak, and the United Statesโs President Biden, altogether issued a joint statement, to express their steadfast and united support to Israel, while also condemning Hamas and its acts of terrorism.
He expressed his shock and disappoint towards the Premier League for their lack of ability to condemn these acts. Erez further explained how the present situation is not a conflict between two people but about leadership and the future. He further urged the Premier League to prevent radical Islamist ideology from expanding and contaminating the free, creative, and diverse community of the world. The letter concluded saying how โClubs, Fans, Coaches and players worldwideโ expect the Premier League as a leader in football to condemn such crimes against humanity publicly and unequivocally.
Israel-Palestine violence
Back on October 7, the Palestinian militant group called Hamas launched an unprecedented wave of attacks on communities settled near the Gaza Strip in Israel. The Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets towards Israeli towns before eventually breaking through the border fence. At present, Israeli authorities claim that the militants have killed at least 1,400 people including civilians and soldiers. Meanwhile, the Hamas militants have also take about 199 hostages under custody.
The most prominent attack so far was the massacre at the Supernova music and arts festival, 6km east of Gaza, where at least 4,000 people were in attendance. Israel also launched a counterattack, calling it โOperation Swords of Ironโ, and bombarded the densely populated territory of Gaza. Israel has also gone on to block the supply lines of basic necessities including fuel and water. According to the โWorld Health Organisationโ, Israel has killed at least 2,800 people and injured 11,000, as of October 17. Notably, Israel dropped 6,000 bombs on Gaza between October 7 and 12.
Athletes share their stand
Just recently, around 30 Muslim and Arab athletes from across football, cricket and rugby held a summit meeting in the UK over the current Israel-Hamas war. During the summit, some footballers reportedly made it clear that they would walk off the pitch if governing bodies did not show respect for Palestinian lives lost ahead of the upcoming fixtures. Unsurprisingly, many players across the league are likely to have strong opinions on either side about the decades-long conflict.
Notably, Arsenal full-back Oleksandr Zincheko, restricted his Instagram account after netizens criticized him for posting that he โstands with Israelโ. Meanwhile, Gunners teammate Mohamed Elneny recently changed his Instagram profile picture to an image containing the Palestinian flag.
A club spokesperson spoke stated:
As with any employees of Arsenal, our players are entitled to express their views on their own platforms. That said we have spoken to Mo about this so he understands the wider implications of his post.โ
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