Egypt's Coach Used His Platform At The World Cup To Speak Out For Palestinians Facing Israel’s Genocide

Egypt's national football team coach Hossam Hassan used his platform at the World Cup to speak about Palestine, saying anyone who does not feel for the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza "is not human."

During a press conference on Monday, July 6, ahead of Egypt's World Cup round-of-16 match against Argentina in Atlanta, a reporter asked Hassan about a gesture he had made after Egypt beat Australia on penalties on July 3 to reach the World Cup's round of 16 for the first time.

After the win, Hassan picked up Palestine’s flag and held it up in celebration and later said he is dedicating the victory to the Egyptian people, as well as the Palestinian people, adding his heart and soul are with them.

Hassan said it was "simply a human reaction," adding “If there is anyone in the world who does not feel for the Palestinian people, then they are not human, whether they are Arab, European or American."

He said that people around the world demand accountability when an animal gets hurt so they should not be silent seeing men, women and children getting killed everyday in Gaza.

"It has become normal to hear that two or three thousand people die in a single day because of a missile," he said.

He said that if he couldn’t feel the Palestinians' suffering, then he does not deserve to live.

“What came out of me was simply a human reaction. Before being Arab, Muslim, Christian or anything else, I am a human being. Through football, the world's soft power, I want to send a message: please let the Palestinian people live. I ask athletes and journalists everywhere to help deliver that ‌message.”

FIFA, football's governing body, bans political slogans on players' equipment and uniforms during matches. But that rule does not appear to extend to press conferences, and Hassan's remarks were not the result of a specific gesture on the pitch.

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