Earlier this week, the Palestinian Football Association unveiled a new ground and facilities which will be used by the Palestinian U-23, U-21, U-19 and national youth teams.
The stadium is a brand new structure in the grounds of the American University, in the city of Jenin. The capacity of the stadium is 3,000 seats and it will also host one of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers of the Palestinian National Team against Malaysia or Timor-Leste, in 2016.
The idea behind the move is to maximise the impact of national football in different areas of the West Bank. This move is part of an interesting wider phenomenon in the Middle East. During the past two years, more countries and national football associations have decided to move their home grounds in which the national teams play to peripheral areas. Lebanon now play in Saida, Saudi Arabia play in Jeddah and Jordan has moved its home ground from the capital Amman to the northern city of Irbid. Israel is also part of this movement. After years of hosting matches at Ramat Gan Stadium, which is located in the centre of the country, the renovated Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem and the impressive new stadium in Haifa are now the home grounds of the Israeli National Team.
Most of these changes have various explanations and each country has its own reasons. These include security issues, political matters or socio-economical arguments. Israel wanted to make a statement about its capital city, Jerusalem, which has been mocked, de-legitimised and unrecognised by the international community in the past two decades. Jordan wanted to strengthen nationalist feelings in the northern part of the country, as the Syrian Civil War is becoming a major problem for the Hashemite Kingdom, with millions of refugees looking for shelter in the country. In addition, the presence of the national team in the area is viewed as a way to prevent any future invasion of radical Islamic influence to the area.
The decision to hold international football matches in Jenin is not an innocent disclaimer. Jenin has historical value, as the city was the scene of major attacks by the Israeli and Jordanian armies and it has been one of the most efficient symbols of the Palestinian resistance over the years.
Football grounds have a tremendous value in delivering an educational message for a country’s civilians, guests and to the rest of the world. This current movement in the Middle East is both interesting and important.