Palestinian football and national identity under occupation

‘We can!’ – women’s football in the Occupied West Bank

“…In the autumn of 2008, a first league women's football championship was held, organised by the PFA, which has responsibility for the womens national team, included travel costs (Shalabi, 2019). The Palestinian womens team played their first game in the West Bank against Jordan in 2009 (Dart, 2020). At that time ten of the best players lived in Bethlehem, four in Jericho, one in Hebron and one in Gaza.…”

“…Therefore, they seem to have a contradictory image of the 'otherness' of their closest neighbour, while dreaming of a better world and the end of the occupation. Sport is seen as effective in playing a crucial role in the construction and confirmation of national identity (Dart, 2020;Hobsbawn & Ranger, 1983), also for those without a national, independent state (Dart, 2020). International sport in particular is one avenue where this can happen, where live audiences and sports media fans desire victories and eulogise nationhood.…”

“…Although football remains the most popular sport for men in the occupied territories (the West Bank and Gaza), Palestine lacks large numbers of male sporting heroes. The Israel authorities refused to issue travel permits for half of the men's squad to participate in the 2006 World Cup qualifying matches and in 2007 and 2008 they were also prevented from travelling to play other international fixtures (Dart, 2020). As we will see later, the women's narratives are expressions of a deep quest for national identity and the end to Israeli occupation, normalising crisis through the experience of football and they have huge pride in representing their country abroad and receiving recognition and acclamation as national heroes when they return home.…”

“…The purpose is to give them a voice to narrate their personal stories, not as victims of a disenfranchised country, but, rather, as subjects of dignity. The focus here is on national identity (Dart, 2020;Falk, 2017;Hall, 1996;Hobsbawn, 1992;Iorwerth et al, 2014), specifically the importance of the footballers' individual and collective memories of having Palestinian identities. It is most of all a comment, through the prism of football, on how the Israeli occupation is affecting fragments of a picture of their lives.…”