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an open letter by sportspeople
in support of Palestine
We — a collective of current and former Australian and international athletes, coaches and officials, along with sports-affiliated administrators, managers, agents, journalists, photographers and other creatives, healthcare specialists, associations, and support staff — are horrified by the verified reports and footage of the continued suffering taking place in Gaza.
In an ideal world maybe politics and sport could be separated, but to date they never have been. Sport exists in the context of the wider society. We, as citizens of a global community, have an obligation to speak out against injustice.
We therefore join the worldwide call for a ceasefire, and an end to the more than 75 years of occupation, displacement and genocide inflicted on the Palestinian people.
There are those who want athletes to stay out of ‘politics’ but they are the ones politicising something that should be as simple as right and wrong. Silence in the face of these atrocities is complicity. A neutral position is just quiet support for the current situation.
We, as people with children and other loved ones, stand with the people of Palestine.
We recognise their humanity. We assert their right to live with fair access to medical supplies, clean water, electricity and, ultimately, safety from violence.
This is the same position taken by independent human rights organisations such as Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, Plan International, Save the Children, the United Nations and UNICEF.
On 9 December, 178 nations voted to intervene and try to implement a peace in Gaza. It is estimated almost 18,000 Palestinians have been killed in two months, more than 40% of them children.
The US was the single country to veto the attempt to stop this mass anguish. Great Britain abstained from voting.
They are not the side we want to be on. Human rights and international law must be upheld.
We were relieved to see on 12 December that the Australian government voted for a ceasefire at the UN General Assembly, but the bombs continue to fall so this is only a critical first step.
We urge Foreign Minister Penny Wong to put pressure on the US and the UK to support an immediate and permanent ceasefire and an end to the occupation. We also demand transparent defence export regulations to ensure Australian companies are not still selling Israel weapons and components to be used for slaughter in Gaza and the West Bank.
Our country has an even greater obligation to learn from its own history and condemn genocide.
Only ten days since first writing this letter, the Palestinian death toll in Gaza has surpassed 20,000 people. There have been nearly 2 million people displaced.
Acting now is beyond overdue but still critical.
Sport is ultimately a vehicle for connection and community. It should be a place for all people to gather, celebrate, mourn, heal and participate without fear of persecution. This includes Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, First Nations people, Jewish people, queer people, and others of differing faiths and ethnicities.
There is no room for antisemitism, Islamophobia or racism in our codes. There is also no room for censorship. We stand in solidarity alongside the thousands and thousands of Australian creatives — including actors, artists and journalists — who are using their voices for justice.
It is an honour to be in a position to advocate. Sport has given us a platform and that platform must be used for good. A future of peace and safety for all, grounded in justice, freedom and equality, is the only acceptable outcome.
Free Palestine.
Always Was, Always Will Be.
Initial signatories include: