International
Argentina cancels friendly tie against Israel after killings in Gaza
Argentina has cancelled a World Cup warm-up match against Israel under political pressure over Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in Gaza.
According to a report in the BBC, Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain told the ESPN the game had been cancelled.
“They’ve finally done the right thing,” Higuain said in an interview.
The Israeli Embassy in Argentina tweeted to confirm that the football friendly between the two countries was off.
Media reports say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Argentine President Mauricio Macri in an attempt to salvage the friendly tie, due to be played in Jerusalem on Saturday.
News of the cancellation was met with cheers in Gaza, where at least 120 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces during recent protests.
However, the Haaretz reported that the friendly tie was cancelled due to unspecified ‘threats and provocations’ against Messi, as per the Israeli embassy in Argentina.
