Palestinians are calling for Lionel Messi to boycott a friendly match between Argentina and Israel this weekend as Israel is applauding his arrival as a public relations triumph.
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Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev said on Monday on Army Radio that the Barcelona star is planning to visit the Western Wall, a Jewish holy site, and called his arrival a public relations win.
Palestinian football association head Jabril Rajoub said the match was an Israeli "political tool" and called on Palestinians to burn Messi's jerseys and photos if he plays in Jerusalem.
Rajoub on Sunday protested outside the Argentinian representative office in Ramallah.
"This is not a game of peace, it is a political game aimed at whitewashing the face of the fascist and racist occupation," Rajoub said on Sunday, according to Wafa, the official Palestinian Authority news agency.
The friendly match is scheduled for Saturday at Jerusalem's Teddy Kolek Stadium. The Malha neighbourhood where the stadium is located is the site of a former Palestinian village that was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
Australian Associated Press
