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Scottish Friends of Palestine take on referees

December 2, 2010 16:02
Meir Levy: took charge of Hamilton’s home game against St Mirren

By

Robyn Rosen,

Robyn Rosen

1 min read

The Scottish Friends of Palestine have complained to European football's governing body over its "failure to address the actions of Israel against Palestine", after two Israeli referees stepped in during a strike.

Referees from Portugal, Malta, Luxembourg and Israel were drafted in to officiate at 11 Scottish matches last weekend after Scots referees refused.

Israel's Meir Levy refereed Hamilton's game against St Mirren along with two Israeli assistants. Another Israeli team, led by Eli Hacmon, officiated in Kilmarnock's game against Aberdeen.

A spokesman for the Scottish Friends of Palestine said the group objected to football authorities accepting the referees and claimed no-one from the Israel soccer community had publicly expressed reservations "against the actions of their state . . ." or mentioned the deaths of two Palestinian players last year. He said: "The time is long overdue for the sports community in Scotland to cease co-operating with, pandering to, the national sports bodies of an apartheid state which has imposed a deadly, collective and mediaeval punishment on a civilian population."

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