Hamas Anger at Gift for Schalit

Arutz Sheva ^ | 28/9/12 | Maayana Miskin

[Eleutheria5]

Hamas has boycotted the Barcelona soccer team over a gift given to Gilad Shalit. Schalit, who was held captive by Hamas for several years, was given a complimentary ticket for a Barcelona game, AP reports.

Schalit writes a newspaper sports column for the Hebrew-language daily Yediot Aharonot.

Hamas officials confirmed that TV stations in Gaza will not broadcast Barcelona matches, and newspapers in the region will not write about the team. The team is normally very popular in Gaza.

A Gaza organization for Arabs jailed in Israel termed Schalit “a murderer and a criminal” and questioned why Barcelona would wish to “honor and thank him.”

Sports associations in Gaza have asked to rescind the invitation to Schalit as well. “We are dismayed to learn the great team of Barcelona will host Gilad Shalit to the Clasico, Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, on October 7th, while more than 5,000 Palestinian political prisoners remain rotting [in Israeli prisons],” said a petition signed by dozens of athletics clubs.

The petition referred to Schalit as “one of the Israel Occupation Force soldiers” and said that Barcelona’s invitation showed “political support” for Israel....

[Eleutheria5]

Barcelona immediately changed the seating for Shalit to an undisclosed location, saying only that it's somewhere out of sight and with a lousy view of the field, and promised not to let him leave until 1,000 terrorists were released. Hamas, however, was still not satisfied./s

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Eleutheria5.

Hamas has boycotted the Barcelona soccer team over a gift given to Gilad Shalit. Schalit, who was held captive by Hamas for several years, was given a complimentary ticket for a Barcelona game...

Glad Hamas has someone who can monitor stuff like this. Whew! That was close!

[Docbarleypop]

Barcelona has a soccer team? cute