Hundreds of pro, anti Israel protesters to picket Sunday’s UEFA qualifying match between Israel and Wales

Fans cheer for Israel's national football club. ISRAEL FA TWITTER PHOTO

It’s been a tumultuous ride for the Israeli national football club (or, now that demand for Israeli tackle football is rising we may have to start calling it ‘soccer’), as they compete for a spot in the 2016 European Championship.

The blue-and-whites have yet to play in the competition.

The team’s bid to make EURO 2016 started on a high note, winning their first three games against Cyprus, Andorra, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, before losing their next three to Belgium, Wales, and in their rematch against Bosnia and Herzegovina. In order to qualify, Israel has to place in the top two teams of their division (Group B), and are currently ranked 3rd (with 9 points) after Wales (with 14 points) and Belgium (with 11). 

With their seventh game of the qualifiers currently underway – they hold a 4-0 lead over Andorra at 63 minutes of playing time – things could be picking up for the Israelis; though, the real test of strength will come this Sunday, when they face Wales at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. 

Prior to the match, however, two other squads will reportedly butt heads in Wales: pro-Palestinians and pro-Israelis. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign has announced that they expect over 400 anti-Israel demonstrators to march from Cardiff City Hall to Millennium Stadium as part of the Red Card Israeli Racism initiative, which protests against the Israeli government and demands that both the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) suspend Israel from their respective organizations.

After receiving wind of the planned demonstration, the Zionist Federation and local Friends of Israel chapters have confirmed that they plan on arriving at the stadium with an estimated 200 Israeli fans, according to the Jewish Chronicle, to take part in a “pre-match celebration of Israel.”

The Times of Israel reports that an Israeli dance troupe was originally scheduled to perform before the start of the match, but eventually backed out due to security reasons.

A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy released a statement decrying the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s planned rally as counterproductive, as it does not promote peace within the region.

“It is unfortunate that we are anticipating an anti-Israel demonstration in Cardiff, which does nothing to promote coexistence in the Middle East or to foster dialogue," the spokesperson said. "Promoting hatred and a divisive ideology, is not only foreign to the sport of football and to sports in general, but cannot advance the cause of peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”