‘Ban Israel from int’l soccer over Gaza genocide’ – NY billboard

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) launches campaign aiming to ensure Israel is banned from major soccer competitions.

By World Israel News Staff

A new billboard in New York’s Times Square is demanding that international soccer bodies ban Israel from competing in tournaments, accusing the Jewish state of committing ethnic cleansing in Gaza.

“Israel is committing genocide: Soccer federations, boycott Israel,” the electronic sign read when it was first displayed on Tuesday.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) launched the campaign – branded with the hashtag #GameOverIsrael – with support from several partners in Europe.

“As the United States prepares to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, Americans must not allow our stadiums to become platforms for whitewashing war crimes,” said ADC Executive Director Abed Ayoub in a press release.

“We stand with our European counterparts and demand that every football governing body take immediate and decisive action to bar Israel from international competition,” he continued. “The world must tell Israel that the game is over and there is no room in sports for war criminals.”

FIFA, UEFA and the Israel Football Association did not respond to a Reuters request for comment regarding the billboard.

The billboard company that rented the space for the advertisement approved the use of the word “genocide,” citing a recent United Nations commission report that accused Israel of carrying out ethnically based mass killings in Gaza, the ADC claimed.

Israel has strongly rejected that report, pointing to its extensive efforts to warn civilians of danger during ongoing fighting, its provision of humanitarian aid, and a clearly entrenched anti-Israel bias in UN reporting.

The Times Square campaign comes amid a broader surge of anti-Israel hostility across Europe as Israel’s participation in international sporting and cultural events has become increasingly contentious.

Several European nations, including Spain, Iceland, Ireland, and the Netherlands, have threatened to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is permitted to compete.

The prestigious Vuelta a España cycling race was repeatedly disrupted by anti-Israel demonstrators who harassed and threatened the Israeli-owned team.

Concerned for rider safety, the team was eventually forced to remove the word “Israel” from its uniforms.