On 1 November a social football match between teams representing our Arab Society and our JSoc was postponed, which led to public commentary and allegations of antisemitism in light of current events in Israel and Palestine.These social football matches are fixtures organised by the University of Leeds, where teams representing LUU societies participate in a friendly league.
LUU facilitated a conversation between the two club captains to better understand the reasons for the postponement, and to enable them to share their perspectives with each other. It transpired that ArabSoc FC pursued a postponement of the fixture against Hapoel Hyde Park (JSoc’s team), due to the availability of players and wanting time to ensure the wellbeing of all those involved in the match.
Both captains have agreed a productive, constructive way forward, and the fixture has been rescheduled. They are communicating directly with each other, and plan to check in on each other often amidst the trauma their communities face with the ongoing crisis in Israel and Palestine.
The postponement notification sent to the Hapoel Hyde Park captain by event organisers was, on reflection, too brief. This led to the misunderstanding that the postponement was requested due to the fact they are part of a Jewish society. This was not the case, and neither the University of Leeds nor LUU will tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hatred.
A spokesperson from ArabSoc FC said, “It was a very stressful period for the football team and more importantly the members of the Arab Society. The main reason behind the postponement of the game was due to a wellbeing concern, where at no moment was it to cause any harm to our fellow colleagues at Hapoel Hyde Park. The allegations made against the team players of ArabSoc FC in the media caused a feeling of unsafety and discomfort to all the players where the players were subject to harassment with comments on social media requesting their visas to be revoked and accusing them of antisemitism. We urge people to always understand both perspectives of the story.”
A spokesperson from Hapoel Hyde Park said, “It was very disappointing to see a miscommunication lead to what we saw in the media, and words should be used a lot more carefully during a tense and emotional period. More education on how to handle the situation is needed for staff and students on how severe the impact of this situation is for people affected. I am hoping relations can be a lot easier going forward.”
LUU are supporting University of Leeds to avoid further misunderstandings, by providing education and sharing resources, such as NUS’s Solutions Not Sides guidance.
