Tory MPs have branded the FA’s decision not to light up the arch at Wembley Stadium in the colours of the Israeli flag as “pathetic” amid a row over how football should mark the atrocities in the Middle East.
England football’s governing body issued a statement on Thursday saying both sets of players in England’s friendly against Australia would wear black armbands and take part in a minute’s silence in the wake of the attacks on Israel by Hamas.
But despite coming under pressure from both Labour and Conservative politicians, the FA has chosen not to illuminate its famous arch in the blue and white of Israel as it had done in the aftermath of terrorist events in France, Turkey and Ukraine.
In a statement on Thursday, the FA said: “On Friday evening, we will remember the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine,” the FA said in a statement.
“Our thoughts are with them, and their families and friends in England and Australia and with all the communities who are affected by this ongoing conflict. We stand for humanity and an end to the death, violence, fear and suffering.”
The move has prompted a serious backlash from Tories, with MP for Bassetlaw Brendan Clarke-Smith describing it as a “shameful decision”.
Health Minister Neil O’Brien highlighted a message on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) UK movement, which expressed “solidarity” with those “resisting Israeli war crimes and military occupation”.
Mr O’Brien added: “The FA put BLM logos on shirts & got players taking the knee to support BLM.
“BLM are currently supporting Hamas as they murder children.
“Now the FA won’t show solidarity with Israel by lighting Wembley as they did for other terror attacks. Just pathetic.”
In a fresh statement issued on Thursday, BLM UK said it rejected the accusation their “solidarity” equated to “celebrating the deaths of Israelis.”
It added: “As anti-racists, we oppose anti-Semitic violence and stand against it.”
The FA officially supported the taking of the knee before games ahead of the 2019/20 football season, saying at the time it gave players its “unequivocal support.”
Tory MP for Harrow Bob Blackman echoed Mr O’Brien’s comments as he criticised the FA for their “failure to condemn the horrific attacks by the Hamas terrorists”.
“Wembley should be lit up in the colours of Israel for tomorrow’s England game,” he added.
During a broadcast interview on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer also threw his weight behind the idea of lighting up the arch in Israel’s colours. The Labour leader told LBC: “I do think they should be on the arch because I think the message has to go out that we stand with Israel, the UK stands with Israel, and that is a manifestation of that support.”
In 2015, the Wembley arch was lit up in red, white and blue in response to terror attacks in Paris, and again in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.
The FA will also promote the British Red Cross emergency appeal which has been set up to help people caught up in the humanitarian crisis.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has written to UK sports bodies encouraging them to mark events in Israel appropriately.
In her letter, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer wrote: “In the light of the attacks in Israel on behalf of the secretary of state we would encourage you to mark the events appropriately in line with previous events where sport has come together.”
