John Barnes has been in Israel this week launching Israel's version of the Kick It Out Campaign against racism amongst football fans. Their slogan is "Lets Kick Racism Out of Football". This campaign has been hugely successful in helping to transform British football from the state it was in when John Barnes was a young player. Hopefully it can help to do a similar job in Israel.

While those that are in favour of boycotting Israel would prefer anti-racists not to campaign against racism in Israel, John Barnes obviously disagrees.

This fantastic news comes a week after the Palestine Solidarity Campaign began an effort to transform the Kick It Out Campaign from the successful anti-racist organisation that it is into a squalid Israel-hating machine.

The new Arsenal stadium is nearly finished and, following a £100m deal with Emirates Airlines, will be called the Emirates Stadium.

Recently, Arsenal has also done a £350 000 advertising deal with the Israeli tourist board.

Nobody opposed the lash-up between Arsenal and the United Arab Emirates - where women do not vote and where men's votes do not determine the government - and where significantly less than half of the population are not deemed to be citizens of the state.

In contrast, the PSC howls about the Israel deal:

"Arsenal FC and individual players have been in the forefront of the ‘Kick Racism Out of Football Campaign’. For Arsenal to sign a deal to promote Israel which denies Palestinians human rights and is illegally occupying Palestinian territory is to go against the very principles of anti-racism."

"This campaign is supported by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, Palestinian Return Centre, Innovative Minds, the British Muslim Initiative, the Muslim Association of Britain, the Palestinian Forum in Britain, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Scottish-Palestinian Solidarity Campaign."

The PSC urge us to do 3 things.

a) Contact Arsenal Football Club reminding them that Israel is a racist apartheid state which is consistently in breach of international law in its human rights abuses; and that such a deal endangers Arsenal’s anti-racist reputation. [remind them, obviously, because they might have forgotten]

b) Write to the players at the same address. Many of them have actively supported Kick Racism Out of Football.

c) Contact the Football Association’s Kick Racism out of Football Campaign reminding them that Israel is a racist apartheid state which is consistently in breach of international law in its human rights abuses; and that such a deal endangers the FAs anti-racist reputation and the Kick it Out campaign itself. Ask the FA to use its influence to prevent the deal going ahead

The threat implicit in all this is very clear - remember (!) that Israel is an apartheid state and that Zionism is the greatest racist threat on earth - or else we will cause you trouble - and this trouble might endanger the Kick It Out Campaign's work against racism.

The relevant adresses, emails and phone numbers are kindly provided by the PSC. If anyone would like to contact the above to promise support against this attempt to destroy Kick It Out, then this might be a good idea.

In 2001, the UN organised a global conference against racism to be held in Durban, South Africa. There was a parallel conference at the same time for NGOs. The Israel-haters managed to prevent both of these global conferences from doing anything useful about racism anywhere in the world. They did this by insisting that the greatest manifestation of global racism was "Zionism". They took over both of these conferences and used them to denounce Israel - and to insist that everyone else denounces Israel. The result was that nothing useful came out of either of these conferences on anti-racism.

Now the PSC wants to destroy the Kick It Out Campaign in the same way.

John Barnes, who knows what it is like to face 20,000 people making monkey noises at him because he is black, clearly does not think that Kick It Out should be destroyed in this way.

See this piece in Haaretz.

Also see the piece pasted below in today's Jewish Chronicle (subscription only):

LIVERPOOL legend John Barnes was in Israel this week to kick-start a footballing anti-racism venture.

Based on the English Kick It Out campaign, the Israeli version has been initiated by the New Israel Fund in partnership with the English and Israeli FAs and the Israel PFA.

“Football is the most powerful weapon in the world from a social perspective,” Barnes told a Tel Aviv press conference. “The fans idolise the players and the stars are in a position to make a real impact. When I was a player, I suffered from monkey chants and having bananas thrown at me. Now all that’s gone and I believe Israel can achieve what we have, and hopefully in less time.”

Another former Anfield star, Avi Cohen, is now the Israel PFA chairman and he announced that Israel Kick It Out’s first major event will be at Monday night’s league game between Bnei Sakhnin and Betar Jerusalem at Doha Stadium in the Arab town of Sakhnin.

The last encounter between the teams ended in fights between Jewish and Arab fans. This time, the players will come on to the pitch wearing shirts with the Kick It Out logo.

“I remember what it was like in England 25 years ago when I played there,” Cohen said. “So when I see how racism has gone from the Premiership, it makes me believe that we can get rid of the phenomenon in Israeli football.”

FA corporate affairs director Simon Johnson believed the English template was relevant for Israel, even though the issues were different. “We have developed a model which is effective for tackling racism,” he said. “It is up to you to take the components and adapt them to the Arab-Jewish situation.”

Kick It Out is the latest phase in the NIF’s New Voice in the Stadium campaign, which has already sparked legislation to outlaw chants such as “Death to Arabs.” The focus will switch to educational activities led by Israel’s top stars and the clubs themselves.

“Football offers unique opportunities,” observed the fund’s UK chief executive, Alan Bolchover. “It attracts racist and violent elements but it is also one of the most progressive arenas in society in giving equal opportunities to all — especially Israel’s Arab minority.”

During his visit, Barnes met President Moshe Katzav and the captains of Israel’s leading teams.

“I travel the world a lot,” he told JC Sport, “and it’s amazing how football can bring people together. It makes me optimistic that through the power of football, we can not only reduce racism but promote co-existence.”