Viewing cable 09AMMAN1689, JORDANIAN SOCCER GAME HALTED AMIDST ANTI-REGIME

Viewing cable 09AMMAN1689, JORDANIAN SOCCER GAME HALTED AMIDST ANTI-REGIME

 

Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
09AMMAN1689	2009-07-28 14:02	2010-12-06 15:03	SECRET	Embassy Amman

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001689 

SIPDIS 

EO 12958 DECL: 07/23/2019 
TAGS PGOV, KDEM, SOCI, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN SOCCER GAME HALTED AMIDST ANTI-REGIME 
CHANTS, HOOLIGANISM TOWARD PALESTINIANS

Classified By: Charge d’Affaires Lawrence Mandel for reasons

1.4 (b) and (d).

¶1. (S) Summary: Anti-Palestinian hooliganism and slogans

denigrating the Palestinian origins of both the Queen and

the Crown Prince led to the cancellation of a July 17 

soccer game between the rival Faisali and Wahdat clubs,

who traditionally represent the East Banker and Palestinian

communities, respectively. Matches between the two teams 

have a long history of violence, but the specific digs at

the royal family marked a new low. The clubs have been

fined and their fans publicly chastised, yet official 

media reporting and commentary has been noticeably thin.

The game exposed the growing rift between East Bankers 

and Palestinians in Jordan.  The King’s silence on the 

event is noteworthy, as is a reluctance among our contacts

to discuss the issue. End Summary.

Faisali 0, Wahdat 0, PPD (Riot)
------------------------------- 

¶2. (C) Jordanian police intervened to stop fan violence

and the chanting of anti-regime slogans during a July 17

match between Amman soccer clubs Faisali and Wahdat in

the industrial town of Zarqa. The unrest began when Faisali

fans started to chant slogans against Palestinian-origin

Jordanians, including Queen Rania. Some Faisali fans

threw bottles at Wahdat players and their fans. The 

coaches of both teams ordered their players off of the

field in the middle of the game for their own safety,

and the remainder of the match was canceled. 

(Note: It ended in a scoreless draw. End Note.)

A Storied Rivalry
----------------- 

¶3. (U) Faisali and Wahdat serve as the proxy champions

of the East Banker and Palestinian communities, respectively.

Faisali, whose name refers to the Hashemite King Faisal,

is controlled by a prominent tribe (the ‘Udwan) which

hails from the East Banker stronghold of Salt. It is

known as the favored team of tribal East Bankers, even 

though many of its players are of Palestinian origin.

Since the formation of the Jordanian Football Union (JFU)

in 1944, Faisali has won thirty national championships.

¶4. (C) Wahdat, which takes its name from the large 

Palestinian refugee camp on the southern side of Amman,

is seen as the favored team of Palestinian-origin Jordanians.

Wahdat has won eleven national soccer championships since 1944,

including the last three. The club’s current president is 

Tareq Khoury, a successful businessman who allegedly bought 

his seat on the Wahdat board. He has since leveraged that 

position into a political career, and was elected to the 

Lower House of Parliament in 2007.

Game Over
--------- 

¶5. (S) Faisali-Wahdat games have a long history of

hooliganism and politically motivated violence. Past matches

have been shut down by the police following riots spurred by

offensive slogans shouted by both sides. Those slogans have

over time become a popular barometer of tensions between

East Bankers and Palestinians. The slogans and cheers on

the Faisali side during the July 17 match were particularly 

divisive and controversial, as they were directed at members

of the royal family for the first time. Faisali supporters 

chanted about the Palestinian origins of Queen Rania with 

the cheer, “divorce her you father of Hussein, and we’ll

marry you to two of ours.” The newly appointed Crown 

Prince did not escape comment either, as he is half 

Palestinian (and one quarter British) himself.

Official Fallout
---------------- 

¶6. (SBU) Official reaction to the match was surprisingly

pro-forma. Prince Ali, half-brother to the King and 

chairman of the Jordanian Football Union (JFU), issued

a statement calling the behavior of Faisali fans 

“unacceptable” and “a red line.” In addition to a 

relatively meager 5000 JD (USD 7000) fine on Faisali,

the JFU indicated that larger security restrictions 

would be placed on future games. Members of parliament 

also sent a missive to the press denouncing the chants

of Faisali supporters as “contrary to Jordanian values.

” The statement was read by MP and Wahdat president

Tareq Khoury on the floor of parliament. The Faisali 

club issued a press release of its own, promising to 

identify the “outcasts” among its fans and deal with

them accordingly.

Media Silence, Internet Cacophony
AMMAN 00001689 002 OF 002
--------------------------------- 

¶7. (C) Despite all of the official condemnations of 

Faisali and its supporters, none of Jordan’s self-censoring 

media featured descriptive news stories about the game 

and why it was called off. Columnists and commentators,

even those who are usually used to advance pro-government

views, were noticeably silent. The heads of the Faisali

and Wahdat fan clubs were allegedly invited to appear on

Al-Jazeera, but refused in recognition of the sensitivities

surrounding criticism of the royal family.

¶8. (SBU) Internet news sites, however, were full of 

commentary on the game and its implications. Many 

defended the Faisali supporters as “real” Jordanians 

fighting against undue Palestinian influence. Some 

commentators believe that Prince Ali failed to remain

neutral in the conflict by only chastising Faisali 

supporters, and called for Wahdat to receive similar

opprobrium.

Comment
------- 

¶9. (S) There is broad recognition throughout Jordan

that the Faisali-Wahdat incident exposed the uncomfortable

gap between East Bankers and Palestinian-origin Jordanians

-- one that most would rather keep well-hidden for the 

sake of political stability. The connection between this

rift and the Hashemite monarchy, including the newly-appointed

Crown Prince, makes the incident even more unsettling.

Even our most forthcoming contacts are reluctant to talk 

with us about the issue, recognizing that it strikes at 

the core of Jordanian identity politics. One contact 

reluctantly admitted that the game brought out the “ugly 

side of Jordanian ultranationalism” and said that it

would be difficult to contain now that it was publicly

expressed. Another pointed to the “increasingly explicit

and provocative” Faisali slogans as proof that status

quo-oriented East Bankers are uncomfortable with the

increasing pressures for reform that will inevitably

lessen their near-monopoly on political and social power.

¶10. (S) The King’s silence on the game and its political

implications is deafening. High level government contacts

and members of the diplomatic community are puzzled by

the King’s failure to respond to a verbal attack on his 

family that also dips in to Jordanian identity politics.

While he is on “internal vacation” in the southern part 

of Jordan, the King’s public exposure has been limited to

meetings with scattered foreign officials. While perhaps

unintentional, the King’s silence has effectively empowered

the pro-status quo establishment. Mandel

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INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE