Football / News
Freedom through football
Local sports and social club the Easton Cowboys have recently returned from a tour of the West Bank in a bid to raise money and awareness for the ongoing plight of Palestinians living in Israeli-occupied territories.
Forming a football squad consisting of both local players and sportspeople from Republica Internationale in Leeds, the club visited a number of different towns and villages across the region, playing games with Palestinian children, established university clubs and anyone else who cared to join in.
is needed now More than ever
During the trip the team witnessed the problems faced by many Palestinians, who often exist in close proximity with illegal Israeli settlements and are subject to repeated house demolitions, denial of basic amenities and frequent harassment by settlers and the army alike.
Group member Tom Burnett was shocked at some of the sights he saw during the tour:
“Nothing prepares you for the sight of 26 foot high separation walls, they dwarf everything around them. In addition to these, the checkpoints, roadblocks and control towers make parts of the country feel like a prison, and that’s exactly what it is for tens of thousands of Palestinians. They’re not able to get to work, go to school, visit a hospital, or even tend their land, without having to queue up at checkpoints first – try and imagine yourself in their shoes for a day.”
The Cowboys also engaged in a number of community projects set up by their partner, Hebron International Resource Network, during their time there, including olive-harvesting and planting thyme as a cash crop for local farmers.
Aiming to lend a helping hand, boost morale and “show the people of Palestine the rest of the world has not forgotten them”, the Easton-based club have dedicated much of their time and resources to the Palestinian cause in the past, and intend to continue their work under the project name Footballs for Palestine.
For more information, visit www.eastoncowboys.org.uk.