Israel plays football in Europe even though it's located in the Middle East that's quite bizarre no the answer is not straightforward and is layered with history geopolitics and power that drive at the very heart of Israel's legitimacy as a country to explain let's first go back in time following the creation of the state of Israel through the neck Bay of the Palestinian people the West sought to normalize its existence internationally and that also extended to football given its geographic location Israel would join the Asian football Confederation in 1954 to strong opposition from its members countries refused to play Israel and in 1958 it went through the World Cup qualifiers without playing a single game in 1964 Israel hosted and won the Asian cup but only after 11 out of the 16 teams withdrew [Music] following the Israeli occupation of what remained of Palestine in 1967 and then the occupation of the Sinai and Golan height Regional opposition to Israel intensified and in 1974 Kuwait launched a motion to expel Israel from the Asian football Confederation and it succeeded this was a first Israel was held accountable through a boycott that defied attempts of normalizing it countries questioned Israel's legitimacy and saw it for what it was a western colony in the Middle East that makes what happens next not that surprising Israel joined the European Football Association in the 1990s and started playing in European competitions in a way Israel went home normalization is making the illegitimate legitimate football is one way to normalize but it also extends to culture economics and politics that's why Israel also participates in euro vision even though it is not in Europe after Decades of successful normalization globally the final frontier became the Middle East and in recent years the West led by the US has pushed for normalization deals between Israel and countries all over the region that historically opposed it this is so it can cement Israel's place and existence because it's not about human rights or international law it is about power geopolitics and self-interest otherwise we saw How the West mobilized to delegitimize Russia after it invaded Ukraine the double standards were glaring after after years of telling Palestinians not to make Sports political FIFA banned Russia from all football competitions because in reality sports are political while some countries continue to normalize many athletes are steadfast in their boycott either refusing to compete against or shunning Israeli teams and athletes altogether despite facing severe repercussions Israel needs normalization to survive that is why it plays football in Europe and the only answer to normalization Is boycott my name is salm and I tell stories that connect the unexpected subscribe for more and support our work on patreon