Divided politically and geographically, Palestinians made strides toward unity Thursday as thousands of enthusiastic soccer fans converged on a stadium in the Gaza Strip for the first football match between a West Bank club and a Gaza Strip team in 15 years. Fans packed Gaza's Yarmouk Stadium, which was decked with Palestinian national flags. More than 1,000 policemen secured the match, Hamas' Interior Ministry said. The encounter between Hebron-based Al-Ahly and Gaza Strip's Shujaiyya United was held to determine which team will go on to represent the Palestinians in international competitions. "Today represents the unity of land, the unity of people. Today Palestinian sport defeated the Israeli occupier," said Abdel-Salem Haniyeh, of the Palestinian Higher Council of Sport. The winners of the Gaza and West Bank leagues used to meet for the Palestine Cup until Israel began restricting their movement in 2000 for security reasons. Israel has come under criticism from the Palestinian Football Association for restricting players' movements. The Palestinians sought to present FIFA, the international soccer federation, with a motion to suspend Israel, but eventually dropped their bid. "No matter who wins, Palestine wins," said Akram Hajjaj, one of Shujaiyya's managers. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, a result perhaps welcome to some, amid efforts to heal the internal rifts from the 2007 civil war between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's long-dominant Fatah faction and Hamas Islamists. The teams will compete again for the Palestine Cup on Sunday, this time in Hebron, and the winners will play in the next Asian Football Confederation Cup. Held every four years, the next AFC games will be held in 2019 in the United Arab Emirates. Jibril Rajoub, chairman of the Palestinian Football Association, said he planned to form a joint league for Gaza and the West Bank. "From day one, I made clear that sport has nothing to do with division," he said.
Rival Palestinian factions come together in rare soccer match
Gaza Strip's Shujaiyya United soccer team, West Bank-based Al-Ahly face off for first match in years • Winners to represent Palestinians in international games • First game held in Gaza, ends 0-0, second game set for Sunday in Hebron.
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