A group of overjoyed English fans were interviewed after their nation’s 3-0 win over Senegal in the round of 16 at the Qatar World Cup.
However, one of them left made a comment that left the interviewer shocked and not sure of how to react. The reporter was conducting a live broadcast for an Israeli TV channel when he encountered the fans.
He first asked them to be animated for the cameras and proceeded to ask them if football is indeed “coming home” to England. When one fan answered that he believed they would not have any issues against France, their rivals in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. At this point, one of the fans grabbed the microphone and yelled: “… and more importantly: Free Palestine!”
The Israeli reporter, clearly uncomfortable, tried to manage the situation by saying “football only,” and then asked another fan in the group another question about the England football team. Watch the clip below:
“Free Palestine” is a slogan used by people who wish to see Palestine given autonomy over some or all of the land in the region that is the centre of the violent conflict between Israel and Palestine.
This is not the first time a British football fan has yelled “Free Palestine” on live TV. During an interview with a Qatari reporter last week after England’s clean win over Wales in the group stages of the tournament, an England fanchose the moment he was interviewed on live television to not just celebrate his country, but also raise important awareness for another.
In the video, the fan tells the reporter he has “just two things to say.” He continues, “One, football, it’s coming home. And number two, free Palestine!” The fan makes his second point in Arabic.
