By James M. Dorsey
One group has been conspicuously absent in the battle for greater transparency of global soccer governance symbolized by multiple corruption scandals and match-fixing: football fans, a key stakeholder with a vested interest in demanding a thorough cleansing of the management of the sport. That however may be changing as Israel appears to be mobilizing a grassroots campaign against Qatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup as part of the Jewish state's effort to isolate Hamas, the Islamist militia that controls the Gaza Strip, and bolster the fortunes of the Palestine Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas.
In the only major manifestation of fan discontent since last year's protests against world soccer body FIFA in Brazil in the walk-up to the World Cup, football supporters in London rallied this weekend outside the Qatar embassy to demand that the Gulf state be deprived of its right to host the 2022 competition because of its support for Hamas. The protest under slogans that included 'Football fans deserve better than Qatar,' 'Kick Terrorism out of Football,' and 'Qatar: Stop Funding Terrorism,' was organized by the Sussex Friends of Israel and the Israel Forum Task Force.
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