Silence Is Complicity: Rufus Wiena Confronts Footvolleyโs Refusal to Act
Swedish podcast: In PalestinaPodden, Rufus Wiena confronts the footvolley communityโs silence after documented death threats against Yiannis and rape threats against his family, and after a documented Instagram post showed an object appearing to be a bomb casing signed โFootvolley โค๏ธโ and tagged with @worldfootvolley and several other footvolley accounts.
Rufus rejects the excuse โdo not mix politics with sportโ: โTrying to label something as politics is an excuse to look away or remain silent.โ Silence does not remove politics from sport. It protects the people responsible, abandons those targeted and allows violent conduct to become normal.
Listen in another language: AI dubbing tools such as ElevenLabs or Maestra can translate uploaded audio or supported links. Their output may contain errors and is not an official translation; for exact wording, consult the original Swedish recording.
14 Jul 2026๐ฆ๐น AUSTRIAN MEDIA: Kleine Zeitung reports on the Graz threat incident and police investigations in Austria and Sweden โ See Timeline
20 Jun 2026๐๏ธ INSTITUTIONAL ESCALATION: 31 organizations contacted, 11 responses documented, 0 investigations confirmed โ See Timeline
18โ20 Jun 2026โ๏ธ EFVL NON-RESPONSE: EFVL confirms receipt but no formal investigation; Rufus replies in writing โ See Timeline
9 Jun 2026โ๏ธ FORMAL COMPLAINT PDF ADDED: FTVR's EFVL Code of Ethics complaint is available to read โ See Timeline
9 Jun 2026๐ด GRAZ TOURNAMENT: Graz LoC Tournament documented, LoC tags @israel_footvolley โ See Timeline
9 Jun 2026New evidence cards: racist anti-Arab comments + Ron's story threatening comments with Hebrew translations โ See Protect evidence
3 Jun 2026๐ฅ BIG NEWS โ FTVR GOES GLOBAL: Dublin ๐ฎ๐ช ยท Rio de Janeiro ๐ง๐ท ยท Tirana ๐ฆ๐ฑ โ three new hubs now active for executing current and future legal operations both on and off the court. You can't silence a movement that's everywhere.
27 May 2026FAQ updated โ Who are we? section added
27 May 2026Contact section expanded with message to global community
21 Jul 2025๐ฐ ISRAELI MEDIA COVERAGE: Mako/N12 publishes article on IFVA complaint against Yiannis โ See Timeline
26 May 2026Sections renamed: PROTECT / RESIST / EXPOSE
26 May 2026EXPOSE rewritten โ IFVA, EFVL, sportswashing strategy, TAFC Connection highlight โ See Expose
26 May 2026Hasbara: $730M propaganda machine section added โ See Expose
25 May 2026New evidence: @mamaninio__, @oriya_malul1, @roy___levi, @tal_hay1, @halfonthefire, @yuval_aharfi + 6 more โ See Protect evidence
25 May 2026Politics ร Sports evidence grid: IDF propaganda tours, TAFC Israel, @ronbenishai.ftv โ See Expose
25 May 2026Full Hebrew & Portuguese translations on all evidence
25 May 2026Timeline expanded โ IG stories, TAFC player documentation โ See Resist
25 May 2026FAQ: Sportswashing & Hasbara explained โ See FAQ
Start here
Footvolley, humanity, evidence and community.
We recommend you to first read our story and timeline in parallel โ how everything started, what has happened, and our vision for the future. If this resonates with you, welcome to join Footvolley Resistance.
Created in 2026, Footvolley Resistance was formed as an urgent initiative to protect our community, our players, and the spirit of the sport itself.
Footvolley was built by passionate people, local communities, friendships, neighborhoods, training groups, and human connection. Across the world, it remains a deeply welcoming and kind environment where people from different cultures meet through sport. That space must be protected.
Why did we create FTVR?
The footvolley community can no longer ignore behaviors and realities that directly threaten the safety, dignity, and humanity of players and people around them. This includes death threats against players and their families, public and private harassment, open support for genocide and war crimes, normalization of hatred, and concerns about alleged military-linked funding and political laundering inside the global footvolley environment.
We must be absolutely clear about what is unacceptable. Many of the documented incidents involved players from, or associated with, Israel and their supporters. The Israel Footvolley Association (IFVA) appears in the documented record as aware of parts of this environment or tagged in relevant content. At the same time, any similar behavior from any person, group, or country would be equally unacceptable.
@mikasa.tu.kasaSigned bomb casing
Posted on Instagram by the Israeli account @mikasa.tu.kasa โ a BOMB CASING signed with Hebrew text and "Footvolley โค๏ธ". The inscriptions translate as follows:
Printed text: "That the whole world knew โ In memory of Dor Malka" (ืฉืื ืืขืืื ืืืข โ ืืืืจ ืืืจ ืืืื)
Handwritten text: "The whole world knew โ Dor Malka โ Footvolley โค๏ธ" (ืื ืืขืืื ืืืข โ ืืืจ ืืืื โ Footvolley โค๏ธ)
The post was tagged with: @footvolleytlv, @worldfootvolley, @israel_footvolley, @arenasclub_ftv, @paulinhoftv, @bruno_foks.
@nadav__navonAltinha inside raided Palestinian home
Video posted by @nadav__navon (9 January 2024) of Israeli footvolley players playing altinha inside a raided Palestinian home โ while serving the IDF during the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Caption in Hebrew: "ืงืฆืช ืืืืืืื ืฉืื ืืฉืืืฉื ืืืืฉืื ืืืืจืื ืื ืฉืื ืืืืชื ืืืืจ ืืขืืืจ ืืืจืช ๐ฎ๐ฑ" โ Translation: "A bit of my experience from the last three months โ I wouldn't have chosen to go through it any differently ๐ฎ๐ฑ"
@david_bptIsraeli player. Mossad threats, wishes Gaza "turns into hell"
DavidBuz (@david_bpt) โ Israeli footvolley player. Messages include: โIsraeli Mossad hunts the people on the evil side, be careful what you say or doโ, โMay all Gaza turns into hell after what they did to us, they deserve nothing more. Everyone there is involved. Stop being blindโ, โIsrael will conquer it eventually. And then we will take care of Turkey (for you, the Greek people) because they host Hamas terrorist now.โ
@liderfranko14Death threats: "You are f**king dead"
Lidor Franko (@liderfranko14) โ Israeli footvolley player. Messages include: โFrom now on you are in trouble, no Jew will support you anymore, if you are all for them, go live in Gaza and Inshallah they will rape you thereโ, โF**k youโ, โYou are f**king deadโ โ direct death threats against a footvolley player for sharing information about civilian casualties in Gaza.
@shahaflavi512Death threats: "We will murder you like the children in Gaza"
Shahaf Lavi (@shahaflavi512) โ Account associated with Israel. Message: โWe understand that you want to come to Israel, if we see you in Israel we will kill you! Don't go near the State of Israel, you anti-Semite, we will murder you like the children in Gaza.โ โ explicit death threats and a shocking admission referencing the killing of children in Gaza.
@shaulinbal7"This one is going to be like people in Palestine โ Dead ๐"
Shaul Inbal (@shaulinbal7) โ Israeli footvolley player. Messages include: โThis one is going to be like people in Palestine โ Dead ๐โ, โI have my people in Greece that can help me cut down your business in a legal wayโ, โBe careful on your businessโ, โRetardโ, โBitchโ โ death threats, business intimidation, and abusive language.
Yinon Amir (@yinon.amir) โ Israeli footvolley player. Messages include death threats, rape threats against family members, and Holocaust references. English: โYou f**king b**ch all you know it's thanks to usโ, โF**k youโ, โAnd f**k your familyโ, โAnd I wish that your kids will be raped by terrorists like youโ.
Hebrew messages translated:
โืื ืืงืจืื ืื ืื ืฉื ืฉืจืืืื ืฉืืื ืกื ืืช ืืื ืฉืืโ โ โYou baldy, you son of a whore, may they rape your motherโ
โืฉืืขืฉื ืื ืฉืืื ืืื ืฉืจืืืืโ โ โMay they give you a Holocaust, you son of a whoreโ
โืฉืืื ืกื ืืช ืืืื ืืืื ื ืฉืื ืืืืืขืจ ืืคื ืืโ โ โMay they rape your whore mother, you ugly faceโ
โืืื ืฉืื ืฉืจืืืืโ โ โYour mother is a whoreโ
@benel.mashiahHasbara propaganda: "knock on roof", "Palestinians glorify martyrdom"
Ben El Mashiah (@benel.mashiah) โ Hasbara propaganda. Messages: โDo you know that our army informs the Palestinian civilians ahead of almost all air strikes in a move called 'knock on roof' so they can evacuate?โ โDid you know that a lot of the Palestinians refuse to evacuate due to their glorifying of the Shaheed-martyrdom?โ โDid you know that Hamas intentionally places its weapon storages and tunnels underneath schools, kindergartens?โ
@eyal.amran โVerified (3.8K followers) โ replied with ๐๐๐๐
Eyal Amran (@eyal.amran) โ Verified account, 3.8K followers. Replied to IG story about Gaza victims (โMore than 65% of victims in Gaza are women, children, elderlyโ) with four middle finger emojis ๐๐๐๐
@ftv_valley (VALLEY)"Are u stupid brother?"
VALLEY Footvolley Club (@ftv_valley) โ Replied to Gaza story: โAre u stupid brother?โ
@yahavmesika"As Jews and Israelis, we can only rely on ourselves"
Yahav Mesika (@yahavmesika) โ Messages: โIt's truly disheartening to hear that you hold such a strong opinion without having a deeper understanding of the situation.โ โThank you for the reminder that, as Jews and Israelis, we can only rely on ourselves.โ
@yuval_aharfiDEATH THREATS: "You need to die"
Yuval Aharfi (@yuval_aharfi) โ Death threats: โGo f**k yourself you are a piece of ๐ฉโ, โYou need to dieโ, โIf you stand with the terrorist you need to dieโ
@mamaninio__Hebrew: "F**k you, you son of a whore" + "You're nothing, dog"
@mamaninio__ โ Public Instagram comments in Hebrew:
โืืื ืขืืืื ืื ืื ืฉื ืืื ืโ = โF**k you, you son of a whoreโ
โืืคืก ืืืโ = โYou're nothing, dogโ
Also visible: @asaf.yakobi commented โืืคืืื ืื ืืื ืโ = โUgh, son of a whoreโ
Oriya Malul (@oriya_malul1) โ Direct messages in Hebrew:
โืชืงืฉืืโ = โListenโ
โืื ืืชืืืช ืืืโ = โYou piece of d**kโ
โืืชื ื ืืคื ืื ืืืืืื ืืชื ืืืขืื ืงืืื ืืชโ = โYou fall into my hands, you're in deadly troubleโ
โืืืืื ืขืืื ื ืืขื ืืืืื ื ืฉืื ื ืืื ืคืจื ืกื ืืื ืื ืืขืื ืืงืื ืืืืชื ืโ = โYou bad-mouth us and our country but have no problem making a living from usโ
Dan Goldberg (@dandangoldberg) โ Hasbara propaganda exchange. Goldberg sent propaganda claiming casualties aren't real, IDF uses 'knock on roof' warnings, Palestinians โglorify martyrdomโ. Yiannis responded respectfully: โI am trying to follow the situation in Middle East since 2005 quite deeply. I condemn Hamas attack on Oct 7th and consider it a war crime. Similarly, I condemn various actions of the IDF as regular and repeatedly committed war crimes.โ
@reservandhhdhd (Mayer)Intimidation: "Even if it means killing others. We call it self defence"
Mayer Careca (@reservandhhdhd) โ Intimidation: โThe Israeli Fv players see you in a bad wayโ, โEven if it means killing others. We call it self defenceโ, โ80 years ago 6000000 Jews were killed. It will not happen againโ, โEven if some people who do not deserve to be hurt get hurt. Sad and unfortunate. But we must defend ourselvesโ
@tzuberryftv (Oren)"We are the most moral army in the world!" โ gaslighting
Oren Tzuberry (@tzuberryftv) โ โOnce again, I will say that everything you write, upload or publish stems from your lack of knowledgeโฆ we are the most moral army in the world! It is simply ridiculous what you write.โ Yiannis responded: โMy dear Oren, I have friends in Israel. Please, don't assume that I don't know what I am talking about. I am pro-humanitarian.โ
@ravivlankryHostile messaging toward players who spoke up
Raviv Lankry (@ravivlankry) โ Screenshots showing hostile communications and threatening language directed at footvolley community members who spoke against genocide.
@halfonthefire (Nadav)"your terrorist friends hide behind them you stupid f**k"
Nadav Halfon (@halfonthefire) โ Replied to Gaza story: โBecause your terrorist friends hide behind them you stupid f**kโ, โWait you family gets kidnapped to tunnelsโ, โWish it will happen to youโ. Yiannis responded: โNothing can justify crimes against humanity.โ
@roy___levi + @tal_hay1DEATH THREAT AGAINST CHILD + racist slur
Roy Levi (@roy___levi) โ Public comment: โืืขืืจืช ืืฉื ืื ื ืืืืืง ืกืืืจืื ืืื ืจ ื ืฉืื ืฉื ืืื ืฉืื ืืื ืฉืืืืโ = โWith God's help, I will light a cigarette from the memorial candle of your son, inshallahโ
Tal Hay (@tal_hay1) โ โืืจื ืืืฉื ืฉืื ืืื ืืืืื ืขืืืื ืืื ืืืคืื ื๐โ = โBro thinks if he f**ks goats he'll become a GOATโ โ racist dehumanizing slur.
Video: Israeli ReactionVideo of Israeli community reaction to IG stories about Gaza
Video showing Israeli footvolley community members reacting aggressively to the Instagram stories about Gaza posted by Yiannis Tsiouris.
@tal_hay1 + @mamaninio__Racist anti-Arab comments + abuse: "F**k you, son of a whore"
Public comments on @footvolley.athens Palestine flag post:
@tal_hay1: "Mr player why do you support Palestinians don't you see that they are... Arabs ????" ๐คฎ๐คฎ๐คฎ โ racist dehumanization of Arab people with vomit emojis
@mamaninio__: "Fuck you, son of a whore" (4 likes) โ direct abuse
These public comments reveal the racist mentality behind the threats โ not just political disagreement, but deep-rooted dehumanization of Arab people and anyone who stands with Palestine.
@ronbenis... story commentsGraz 2026: "Send his picture, we'll take care of him"
Graz LoC Tournament, June 2026: Ron Ben Ishai (@ronbenishai.ftv) posted a video to his ~25,000 Instagram followers calling FTVR co-founder Rufus Wiena a "pro-antisemite" and asking: "What would you suggest we do?"
His followers responded with violent threats:
@shuce_: "ืคืจืง ืื ืชืชืืช" โ "Tear his ass apart"
@volleylabtlv: "ืื'ืื 'ืจ'ื'ืื ืืืชื ืืืจ" โ "F**k him up fast" โ a Tel Aviv volleyball account. The root word ืืืืื (lezayen) is one of the most vulgar words in Hebrew. Unlike the English "fuck him up" (which primarily means to beat someone), the Hebrew ืืืืื ืืืชื carries a significantly heavier sexual violence connotation โ sitting in a grey zone between "beat the living shit out of him," "violate him" (sexual assault), and "destroy him completely." In the violence context: ืื ื ืืืืื ืืืชื = "I'll fuck you up"; ืืืื ื ืืืชื = "they fucked him up." The addition of ืืืจ ("fast/quickly") implies urgency โ do it now, before the opportunity passes โ i.e., while the target is still at the tournament in Graz. The spelling appears deliberately distorted with apostrophes (geresh marks), consistent with attempts to evade Instagram's content moderation, and suggesting the commenter knew the wording was extreme. This is a direct call for violence with sexual violence undertones
@roy___levi: "ืฉืื ืชืืื ื ืฉืื ื ืืคื ืื" โ "Send his picture, we'll take care of him" โ the same Roy Levi who previously threatened Yiannis's future child
Ron then posted a follow-up video thanking his followers for their "very creative ideas for what to do โ NOT during the match", which Rufus understood as appearing to validate or escalate the off-court threat context rather than distancing himself from it.
Note: "Comments on this story have been limited" โ visible at the bottom of the screenshot
...this goes on and on, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Similar incidents and threats of death and rape aimed at various footvolley players, their families and friends have been made both publicly and privately...
Resist
To show that there are players, organizers, coaches, and communities who stand with humanity and stand with each other. People who refuse to normalize genocide, apartheid, war crimes, crimes against humanity, racism, intimidation, or the use of blood-money to buy silence and legitimacy โ both on and off the footvolley court.
Footvolley taught me many things: respect, unity, connection, community. But in times like these, sport cannot exist outside society. "No politics" has never truly existed โ especially when human lives are being destroyed in front of our eyes.
Across Europe and beyond, wars, occupation, forced displacement, and mass civilian suffering are realities of our time. And in Gaza, the Palestinian people continue to endure a brutal offensive that has already taken the lives of thousands of civilians, including athletes, coaches, journalists, medical personnel, humanitarian aid workers, and children.
Many people inside sports remain silent out of fear, pressure, or convenience. Others speak despite restrictions and consequences. From Pep Guardiola to Eric Cantona, Lamine Yamal, Karim Benzema, Lewis Hamilton, and many others, prominent voices in sports have publicly supported Palestine and reminded the world that humanity comes before politics.
As Guardiola said: "When people are dying, you have to help. Never in human history have we had everything so clearly in front of our eyes."
This post is not against people because of nationality, religion, or ethnicity. It is against genocide, apartheid, dehumanization, and the normalization of mass suffering. Some still want sport to be an escape from reality. But sport reflects society. And the values we speak about every day โ respect, unity, dignity โ must apply to everyone, including Palestinians.
Big respect and solidarity to all humanitarian initiatives, activists, and civilians raising their voices and taking action โ including @marchtogaza_greece and organizations like @gazasunbirds, who continue to represent resilience, dignity, and humanity under unimaginable conditions.
There is no more room for comfortable neutrality. No more pretending not to know. Humanity before everything.
As a community, we continue our original statement clearly and publicly:
Nordic & Swedish Footvolley Champion 2025! But what is this "achievement" worth? โ right now, it's worth nothing.
2025 marks one of the darkest chapters in modern human history.
For 22 months now, the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Zionists of the Apartheid State of Israel โ supported by the United States, the European Union, and several Arab oil states โ have continued unabated.
Just a few days ago, Suleiman Al-Obeid, a star of the Palestinian national football team, was shot in the head while waiting for aid in Rafah. Murdered while standing in a bread line โ searching for something to feed his family so they wouldn't starve to death.
The Footvolley player Yiannis Tsiouris from Footvolley Athens (@footvolley.athens) was not only harassed but also received death threats directed at him and his family after a post on Instagram, July 15, 2025, in which he simply stated that he stands with humanity.
These threats came from pro-genocide Zionists โ many of them Footvolley players themselves โ supported and protected by the Israeli Footvolley Community and its partners, including the EFVL (European Footvolley League).
My anger is also directed toward the global Footvolley Community, where ALMOST no one has dared to speak up or take a CLEAR stand AGAINST these atrocities.
Footvolley in the EU is currently the most "Pro-Genocidal" Sport on Earth
Futevรดlei, once born in Brazil โ by and for the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized โ bringing peace, joy, and unity across classes โ has been hijacked.
Mark my words โ this is happening right now! And people won't forget that this sport is becoming connected with "children's blood money."
But when Israeli Footvolley players and their community openly share hateful, violent messages and threaten a Greek Footvolley player and his family with death and rape โ without any consequences โ I must make my position absolutely clear: I want to take our sport of origin back!
The messages below, sent via Instagram DM, are just a small collection โ JUST A FRACTION:
Yuval Aharfi: "Go fuck yourself you are one piece of shit. You need to die!"
Yinon Amir:"Fuck you, Fuck your Family and wish that your kids will be raped by terrorists..." Continuing in Hebrew: "May they do a Holocaust to you."
@lidorfrank14:"You are fucking dead!"
@Shaulinbal7:"This one is going to be like people in Palestine, DEAD."
@Shahaflavi512:"If we see you in Israel we will kill you! We will murder you like the children in Gaza!"
So yes, on paper, I may represent Sweden in Footvolley in the future. But my heart and soul will always, ALWAYS, represent Palestine.
From now on, I play for the murdered children who never got a chance to live, to play, to dream.
This is about humanity, and about what happens when threats like โWeโre going to murder you like the children of Gaza,โ โWeโre going to give you a Holocaust,โ military-glorifying content, and institutional silence enter sport.
In what sport is it normalized and accepted to sign what appear to be bomb casings with โFootvolleyโ and heart symbols, and tag different footvolley accounts and footvolley players?
Bombs that may allegedly have been intended for use in Gaza.
This is not a rumor. The posts are documented, along with many other disturbing posts.
And as far as I know, not a single person tagged on that bomb post, and not a single footvolley institution informed, has condemned it or taken a clear stance against any of it.
The standard response seems to be silence.
It all started with my friend, a Greek national footvolley player, who was targeted simply for standing up for humanity.
He was speaking up against the killing of women and children.
He then received threats from Israeli footvolley players and their supporters.
Threats like:
โWeโre going to murder you like the children of Gaza.โ
โWeโre going to give you a Holocaust.โ
And rape threats against his family, and more.
This is just a fraction of what we have documented on our website.
Then, at a recent League of Champions (LoC) footvolley tournament in Graz, one Israeli footvolley player with roughly 25,000 followers asked his audience what should be done to me.
One person answered:
โSend his picture, and weโll take care of him.โ
After the match, this Israeli footvolley player thanked his audience for all the โcreative ideasโ of what to do to me.
Outside the court.
Not during the game.
I have filed police reports.
I have contacted multiple sport and legal institutions.
But so far, as far as I know, no meaningful action has been taken.
People need to understand: this is very serious.
There are powerful forces behind it, which requires careful, evidence-first documentation and expertise.
But hey, donโt just take my word for it.
Our website has documented threats, screenshots, videos, timelines, police reports, institutional correspondence, and international media coverage.
And that is why I am asking dedicated and serious journalists to examine it.
Because this may only be the beginning of what has surfaced so far.
This timeline records the build-up to the Footvolley Resistance Club and movement โ how the situation developed, how we documented it, and how our fight for justice became a positive stand for humanity and for the right to simply play footvolley without being threatened.
15 July 2025 โ Yiannis Tsiouris posts on Instagram
Shortly after three stories posted on Instagram about globally recognised war crimes and horrors in Gaza, the Greek footvolley player Yiannis (@footvolley.athens) posts: "No Time to Stay Silent. In these dark and painful times, I feel a deep responsibility to speak up. What is happening in Gaza is not a conflictโit is devastation. I stand firmly against war crimes, the mass killing of civilians, and the forced starvation of a people under siege."
"I have followed the situation in the Middle East closely since 2005, not from a position of ideology or government supportโI am an anarchistโbut from human connection. I have friends in both Tel Aviv and Palestine, including Greek doctors and humanitarian workers who witness and report the unimaginable suffering of the Palestinian people.
The last couple of months, I've been sharing my thoughts against the massacres happening in Gazaโcalling out the war crimes and atrocities committed by the Israeli military. My message was simple: killing children, destroying hospitals, and starving civilians is not defense. It's not justice. It's not human.
For this, I've received a flood of hate: aggressive, sadistic, and even (life) threatening messages. Not just from strangers, but mostly from people within the footvolley community I've spent years helping to grow.
Let me be clear: I do not support Hamas or any state or militia. My stance is rooted in the belief that no human being deserves to be treated as disposable.
Together with our local community, we've decided to take a stand. We will boycott any soldier or open supporter of this genocide. This is not about religion, ethnicity, or nationality. It's about being against atrocities. Against oppression. And for humanity.
This is not the time for neutrality. Silence allows injustice to continue.
๐ต๐ธ Palestine will always be free and this has nothing to do with Hamas or any government. It's about the people."
โ @footvolley.athens, 15 July 2025
The three Instagram stories about globally recognised war crimes in Gaza that preceded the post
The post that started it all
Death and rape threats from Israeli players
Multiple dozens of Israeli footvolley players and their supporters โ including many people he had never met or interacted with personally โ coordinated waves of death threats, rape threats against his family and friends, Holocaust references, harassment, and business intimidation. The pattern, timing, and scale of the attacks made it clear that this was not isolated behavior, but an organized and targeted campaign of intimidation, of which only a small fraction is documented in the evidence grid above.
11 August 2025 โ Rufus shows support, publishes video and article
Rufus Wiena publicly supports Yiannis in the community, releases the video "No Time To Stay Silent", and writes the article "Nordic & Swedish Footvolley Champion 2025 โ But what is this achievement worth?"
Israel files a complaint โ EFVL (European Footvolley League) targets Yiannis
Instead of addressing the death threats, the EFVL president wants to "discuss Yiannis' behaviour" โ not the Israelis who made the threats. The complaint focuses on silencing the victim, not the aggressors.
21 July 2025 โ Israeli Media Covers the Story: Mako/N12 Article Published
Israel's mainstream news outlet Mako (N12 / Keshet Media Group) โ the digital arm of Keshet 12 / Channel 12 โ publishes an article about the IFVA complaint against Yiannis Tsiouris. The article, by journalist Ben Goldfriend, confirms that IFVA demanded Yiannis's suspension from EFVL for refusing to train Israeli players and citing the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
This matters because the campaign against Yiannis was not hidden inside private federation correspondence. It was amplified through mainstream Israeli media.
Footvolley: Senior European Federation Official Prevents Israelis from Training in Greece
Requested to Train in Greece and Were Refused: "We Boycott People Who Support Genocide"
The Israeli Footvolley Association demands the suspension of the Greek representative in the European League leadership and one of the senior figures in the sport, Yiannis Tsiouris, after he prevented Israelis from training in Greece claiming they actively participate in genocide against Palestinians.
Author: Ben Goldfriend ยท Published: July 21, 2025, 01:13
Israeli footvolley players who arrived in Greece and requested to train at the facilities of the Greek representative in the European League and one of the senior figures in the sport, Yiannis Tsiouris, encountered refusal due to the claim, according to him, that they support and even participate in genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. In response, the Israeli Footvolley Association is demanding his suspension from the league.
The Israeli Footvolley Association, which is currently holding the "Yaaz" Footvolley League in cooperation with Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, sent an official letter to the European Footvolley League - EFVL requesting disciplinary action against Yiannis Tsiouris, the Greek representative in the league leadership on behalf of Footvolley.Athens, following a series of actions and statements against Israeli athletes in the sport.
The Scandalous Message from Tsiouris | Photo: Private
In the letter, signed by Israeli Association board members Rafi Ancona and Yehonathan Menashe, and sent through the Association's representative in the European Footvolley League Gal "Hofu" Levi, allegations arise of inappropriate behavior by the senior Greek representative, including claims of repeated discrimination against Israeli players in violation of EFVL regulations.
The letter noted that Tsiouris, who constitutes a significant figure in the sport, used social media to raise accusations against Israel following the "Iron Swords" war, while calling to boycott Israeli players as a result. Among other things, it was noted that on several occasions Tsiouris sent messages to Israeli players who requested to schedule training sessions and collaborations in Greece in which he wrote that "during the recent period of active genocide in the Middle East, we decided to boycott people who support it explicitly or implicitly." Additionally, it was noted in the complaint letter that Tsiouris published anti-Israel content on his official Instagram page, in which he accuses Israel of genocide.
"Such behavior is intended to create discrimination based on citizenship and political affiliation, defamation of a league member state, and encouragement of political isolation in the sports community," it was written. It was further noted that these actions constitute a violation of the European Footvolley League regulations and international norms, including through the introduction of politics into the sport, harm to equal treatment between players, exposure of them to security risks, and more. The letter cited the sections that Tsiouris clearly violated, alongside violation of the principle of political neutrality in sports and harm to commitments to fundamental rights of the European Union, which prohibits refusal to provide services based on belief or national affiliation.
Israeli Association officials noted that in his actions, Tsiouris isolates and creates stigma toward Israeli players in the sport, encourages other league members to adopt anti-Israel positions, and effectively creates an unsafe environment for Israeli athletes abroad.
The letter was signed with a demand to conduct a disciplinary investigation with Tsiouris, to warn him to cease his activities on the subject, and to consider temporary suspension or disqualification from participation in events related to the European Footvolley League. The letter also demanded that the European League leadership publish confirmation of its commitment to neutrality and non-discrimination for all member states.
The "Yaaz" Footvolley League games are held every Saturday from 16:00 at Frishman Beach, until August 16. The league, with the participation of dozens of players from the country and around the world, is organized by the Israeli Footvolley Association, in cooperation with Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality and with the support of "Yaaz Entrepreneurship and Construction" company.
Mako is owned by Keshet Media Group, the digital arm of Keshet 12 / Channel 12, one of Israel's main TV channels. Public media research identifies Mako as one of Israel's major mainstream online news platforms. This is not fringe media.
Mako/N12 ยท Keshet Media ยท Mainstream Israeli press
15 August 2025 โ Rufus writes an urgent letter to the Swedish Footvolley Board
A formal letter is sent to the Swedish footvolley federation. The response: no response, no communication, complete silence. Deeply disturbing โ but sadly, not unexpected.
Alleged military-linked money enters the footvolley community
Money alleged to be connected to Israel and linked to the IDF is offered to various footvolley players globally โ many accept, despite the documented concerns about where it comes from.
Alleged military-linked money
March 2026 โ TAFC Israel is announced
A footvolley tournament (TAFC World Cup Red Sea) is planned in Eilat, Israel โ originally for March 19โ21, 2026, then rescheduled to May 6โ9, 2026 โ later cancelled and postponed due to the US-Israel vs. Iran conflict. Many professional and non-professional international footvolley players sign up without hesitation, accepting the money offered, showing no moral objection, and by participating, they risk giving public legitimacy to the State of Israel, widely accused of apartheid by major human-rights organizations, while its so-called "most moral army in the world" is widely accused of committing genocide and grave crimes in Gaza in front of the eyes of the world.
TAFC Israel participants with country of representation and player tags
๐คฒ 15 May 2026 (Nakba Day) โ The Footvolley Resistance Club is created
With crystal clear guidelines to stand with humanity. In times like these, sport cannot exist outside society. "Do not mix politics with sport" has never truly existed โ especially when human lives are being destroyed in front of our eyes. This is not even about politics anymore โ it is about humanity. And unfortunately, the global footvolley community is now deeply involved.
FTVR Founded ยท 15 May 2026 ยท Nakba Day
4โ8 June 2026 โ Graz, League of Champions Tournament
FTVR co-founder Rufus Wiena competes at the League of Champions tournament in Graz. Behind the scenes, the website and documented threats are the talk of the community โ everyone knows. Yet no one acts.
During the tournament, Ron Ben Ishai posts a video to ~25,000 followers calling Rufus a "pro-antisemite" and asking: "What would you suggest we do?" Followers respond with: "Send his picture, we'll take care of him" (@roy___levi). Ron follows up thanking them for "very creative ideas for what to do โ NOT during the match."
@ronbenishai.ftv
Ron Ben Ishai's Instagram story โ calls Rufus Wiena a "pro-antisemite" to ~25,000 followers and asks: "What would you suggest we do?"
"What if I told you there's a guy here in Europe, a player who is a pro-antisemite, and his entire purpose, everything he's trying to do, is to make sure that we Israelis don't play in the European tournaments โ because of the whole situation and the genocide and all that nonsense."
"He's even submitted a request to the European federation with a demand that we shouldn't participate, and that his country, Sweden, also shouldn't participate."
"And what if I told you that this guy โ we're playing against him in our very first match?"
Comments on @ronbenishai.ftv story
Followers respond with violent threats:
@roy___levi: "ืฉืื ืชืืื ื ืฉืื ื ืืคื ืื" โ "Send his picture, we'll take care of him"
@shuce_: "ืคืจืง ืื ืชืชืืช" โ "Tear his ass apart"
@volleylabtlv: "ืื'ืื 'ืจ'ื'ืื ืืืชื ืืืจ" โ "F**k him up fast" โ a Tel Aviv volleyball account. The root word ืืืืื (lezayen) is one of the most vulgar words in Hebrew. Unlike English "fuck him up" (primarily meaning to beat someone), the Hebrew ืืืืื ืืืชื carries a significantly heavier sexual violence connotation โ sitting in a grey zone between "beat the living shit out of him," "violate him" (sexual assault), and "destroy him completely." The addition of ืืืจ ("fast") implies urgency โ do it now, before the opportunity passes โ while the target is still at the tournament. The spelling appears deliberately distorted with apostrophes (geresh marks), consistent with an attempt to evade Instagram content moderation and suggesting the commenter knew the wording was extreme
"Comments on this story have been limited"
The restriction notice is relevant context because it appeared alongside a documented pattern of threatening responses from IFVA-affiliated accounts.
@ronbenishai.ftv โ Follow-up
Ron thanks his followers for their "very creative ideas for what to do โ NOT during the match."
"OK so, after many very creative ideas, very creative, that you gave me for what to do โ not during the match. We just played and beat them 18-4. And that's it. Moving on to the next matches."
He acknowledged the violent suggestions, called them "creative", and noted they were about off-court actions.
This completes a three-part evidentiary chain:
(1) Incitement โ "What should we do?" โ (2) Violent responses โ "Send his picture" โ (3) Endorsement โ "Very creative ideas for what to do NOT during the match."
This is why we have asked relevant authorities to assess whether the sequence may constitute criminal threats, harassment, incitement, or related offences under applicable law.
๐ฆฉ "Flamingo" โ Belonging to No Nation?
In July 2025 โ just weeks after the first documented threats against Ioannis Tsiouris โ League of Champions introduced "Flamingo": a so-called "European club belonging to no nation."
According to LoC's own announcement, Flamingo was created as a voluntary option for players and local organisers, with the stated purpose that "as many players, volunteers and sponsors as possible can feel safe, take part and compete." Acceptance under Flamingo requires the local organiser to assess:
Whether Flamingo is a relevant solution in the local context
Whether the individual(s) can be accepted under the concept
Whether the collaboration supports a respectful and safe environment for all participants, volunteers and sponsors
In Graz, Israeli players Ron Ben Ishai and Maor Haas competed under Flamingo. Their club names appear blank in the official standings โ no flag, no nation, no affiliation. Compare this to other players, whose clubs and points are displayed like every other competitor. On paper, Ron and Maor belong to no one.
But here is the contradiction:
During and after the Graz tournament, League of Champions tagged @israel_footvolley on their Instagram to celebrate Ron and Maor's results. The very same @israel_footvolley whose affiliated members and supporters are documented on this website sending death threats and violent responses. So which is it โ belonging to no nation, or representing Israel?
And regarding the safety criteria: the local organiser in Graz โ an EFVL Executive Committee member โ was fully aware of the documented threats at ftvresistance.com before the tournament. Ron Ben Ishai then posted a video during the tournament publicly targeting a fellow competitor and asking his audience what should be done, after which followers responded with violent threats that could directly compromise the player's safety. Yet no action taken.
Did Flamingo's safety assessment ever take place? Did anyone ask whether allowing a player โ whose affiliated community has been documented sending death threats and whose own conduct is documented above as involving public targeting and apparent solicitation of violent responses โ to compete "supports a respectful and safe environment for all participants"?
It is also worth noting that Flamingo's rules and guidelines appear to exist only on LoC's Instagram account โ we were unable to find them on LoC's official website. Make of that what you will.
League of Champions' own slides introducing "Flamingo" โ posted on their Instagram account, 20 July 2025.
"League of Champions cannot host players who threaten, intimidate, or engage in behaviour that compromises the safety, dignity, or wellbeing of other players, organisers, volunteers, or spectators at any tournament."
LoC's own published rules on their website
Before this tournament, League of Champions was informed โ in person and through documented evidence at ftvresistance.com โ of the clear prior threat against Yiannis. Separate threats and incitement involving Rufus were documented later in connection with Graz. The EFVL President served as referee, and an EFVL Executive Committee member organised the event.
Players openly wore IFVA-branded clothing in the players' area at Freiheitsplatz โ choosing to represent and normalize the very association whose affiliated members and supporters send death threats and incite violence. If you choose to wear their brand, you choose to stand behind their conduct. It is worth noting that IFVA was clearly tagged on the @mikasa.tu.kasa BOMB CASING post โ and as far as our research has been able to find, no condemnation was ever made by IFVA, nor by any of the other tagged accounts, nor by any official footvolley organisation.
After the tournament, League of Champions tagged @israel_footvolley on their Instagram โ the very association documented above.
LoC tags @israel_footvolley
We find this a deeply concerning signal from an organisation that was fully aware of the documented threats, incitement, and violent harassment connected to this association. We are not claiming that LoC violated their own policy. We are asking a simple question: Is this the stance you want to take?
The tournament itself was well organised and we want to give credit where it is due. Good organisation, however, does not excuse institutional silence on safety. We hope that meaningful action will be taken โ not just words, but accountability.
"Despite everything, I had a wonderful time with many players on the side courts โ people from all over the world. A few came up, encouraged me, and appreciated what FTVR is doing. Not just for standing up for a friend, but for humanity. There are people in this community who want justice โ just like us. That warmth will fuel our movement. We will never stop fighting for justice. We will never forget, and everyone accountable will have to answer for their actions โ or their silence." โ Rufus Wiena
Graz ยท League of Champions ยท June 2026
โ๏ธ 9 June 2026 โ Formal Complaint Filed to EFVL
Rufus Wiena and Ioannis Tsiouris file a formal complaint to the European Footvolley League (EFVL) under Code of Ethics ยง2.1 (Discrimination) and ยง2.3 (Respect). The complaint contains 6 specific demands and sets a 10-day deadline. EFVL President Igor Alberto Oliveira acknowledges receipt the same day.
18โ20 June 2026 โ EFVL's Non-Response + Rufus's Reply
On 18 June 2026, after the formal complaint had been filed and the 10-day deadline was expiring, EFVL sends a short response via footvolleyeurope@gmail.com. The message confirms neither whether a formal investigation has been opened nor addresses any of the six demands in the complaint.
"Dear Rufus,
Thank you for your email regarding the situation. This message serves as formal confirmation that your correspondence has been received.
The matter has been forwarded to the relevant department for review. Ensuring a secure environment within EFVL-related games remains a priority. You will be contacted once the review is complete.
Best Regards
EFVL - European Footvolley League"
Source: Email from European Footvolley League <footvolleyeurope@gmail.com>, 18 June 2026.
On 20 June 2026, Rufus replies in writing, re-attaching the formal complaint and anchoring the record: the complaint was submitted on 9 June, acknowledged the same day by EFVL President Igor Alberto Oliveira, and the six demands remained unanswered.
"Dear EFVL Executive Committee,
I acknowledge receipt of your message of 18 June 2026. For the record, my formal complaint, co-signed by Ioannis Tsiouris and re-attached here for completeness, was submitted on 9 June 2026 under EFVL Code of Ethics ยง2.1 and ยง2.3, and acknowledged by President Igor Alberto Oliveira on the same day. It set out six specific demands in Section 11 to be met within ten calendar days of receipt. More than ten calendar days have since elapsed.
Your message confirms neither whether a formal investigation has been opened nor its scope, and addresses none of the six demands. I therefore ask for a single written point of contact and a written yes/no confirmation that a formal investigation has been opened under the Code of Ethics.
For the integrity of the record, I will keep all substantive correspondence in writing.
I reserve all rights and remedies.
Respectfully, Rufus Wiena Current Swedish and Nordic Footvolley Champion Co-founder, Footvolley Resistance Club (FTVR)"
Sent to European Footvolley League and Igor Oliveira, 20 June 2026. Attachment: FTVR-Formal-Complaint-EFVL-Code-of-Ethics-2026.pdf.
18 June EFVL response ยท 20 June written reply ยท No investigation confirmed
After this point, EFVL never responded. No single point of contact was provided. No confirmation that a formal investigation had been opened was ever given. No further communication was received from the European Footvolley League or its president. With the EFVL channel stalled and unanswered, Rufus decided to take new roads to continue the fight for justice โ filing police reports in Sweden and Austria, going to the international press, and launching the FTVR campaign.
๐๏ธ Institutional Escalation โ The Work Behind the Curtains
After EFVL's non-response, the case is escalated to 31 organizations across sport governance, athlete welfare, human rights, EU institutions, and international bodies. Here is what happened:
This timeline summarizes documents and correspondence on file. Some institutional replies are summarized to protect privacy, confidentiality, and ongoing processes. Responses from institutions are included where available.
Institution
Response
Status
EFVL (European Footvolley League)
Non-substantive response. No investigation confirmed.
โ
IFVA (Israel Footvolley Association)
No response to media inquiry.
โ
IOC Ethics & Compliance
Declined jurisdiction โ EFVL not IOC-recognised.
โ
FIFA Ethics Committee
Acknowledged โ not a FIFA-governed sport.
โ
FIFPro (World Players' Union)
Does not represent footvolley players.
โ
Swiss BASPO (Federal Office of Sport)
Not their remit โ directed to IOC + police.
โ
Safe Sport International
Cannot intervene in individual cases. Safeguarding Panel reviewing for general guidance.
โ ๏ธ
Centre for Sport and Human Rights (CSHR)
Unable to provide direct support. Shared general referral resources mapped by Safe Sport International and the World Players Association; did not recommend or endorse any specific organization.
โ ๏ธ
Sport & Rights Alliance (SRA โ Athletes Network)
Responded supportively through the Athletes Network. Referred the case toward emergency legal and digital-safety support pathways, and suggested a factual case-summary letter with Code of Ethics breach references and pointed questions for the relevant governing body.
โ ๏ธ
ELSC (European Legal Support Center)
Responded supportively and provided useful legal and local-solidarity referrals. Not an institutional investigation; no private contact details are published here.
โ ๏ธ
Play the Game
Called the complaint "impressive" and the transgressions "outrageous." Referred onward due to capacity constraints.
โ ๏ธ
EU FRA (Fundamental Rights Agency)
Acknowledged. Brought to FRA expert teams on discrimination & online hate speech for correlation with ongoing data collections.
โ ๏ธ
European Parliament (PETI)
Petition submitted and confirmed. Being processed.
โณ
12 other organizations
Contacted across sport governance, athlete welfare, human rights, and EU institutions. Awaiting response.
โณ
The pattern: Many organizations treated the case seriously, but most ultimately pointed to limits in mandate, jurisdiction, remit, or capacity. Some acknowledged the seriousness of the threats. Some referred the case onward. Some explained that they cannot intervene in individual cases. But so far, no responsible footvolley institution has publicly condemned the threats, opened a transparent investigation, or offered meaningful protection.
Play the Game responded respectfully, describing the complaint as "impressive" and the alleged transgressions as "outrageous", while explaining that, due to capacity limits, it could only refer the case onward.
The EU Fundamental Rights Agency acknowledged the case and forwarded it to expert teams working on discrimination and online hate speech, for correlation with ongoing data collections. FRA also clarified that it does not have the mandate to intervene in individual cases.
Other sport-rights and legal-support organizations, including groups such as SRA and ELSC, have engaged constructively or been approached through appropriate channels. Their responses show that the case is being taken seriously by parts of the wider rights ecosystem โ but the gap remains: there is still no effective accountability pathway inside footvolley itself.
The athlete did what athletes are told to do: documented the threats, contacted relevant bodies, filed police reports where applicable, submitted formal complaints, and preserved evidence.
The support ecosystem has acknowledged the seriousness of the case. The footvolley system itself has still not acted publicly โ yet.
Police reports and written submissions have now been filed in two countries:
Sweden: Police report filed in mid-June 2026. After the initial decision not to open a preliminary investigation, a review request was filed. A renewed, final review request was then submitted in July 2026 with an organized evidence index, the 17-file digital evidence package, and a specific request that prosecutors review the videos, Hebrew threat translations, Meta/Instagram preservation options, and possible coordination with Austrian authorities. Case references are available to journalists and relevant authorities on request.
Austria: Written submission (Sachverhaltsdarstellung) sent in mid-June 2026 to Graz police. After calls, two initial email addresses, roughly ten days without answer, six additional phone attempts, and two further emails to police departments, Landespolizeidirektion Steiermark, SVA 1 โ Strafamt finally confirmed receipt and forwarded the report for processing. Still waiting.
Note: Full police reports and case reference numbers are not published here. They are available to journalists and relevant authorities on request.
Sweden ยท Austria
๐ฐ 7 July 2026 โ DN Article Published
Dagens Nyheter (DN) publishes Kristina Hedberg's article on Rufus Wiena, the threats, and the silence from the footvolley community.
Rufus Wiena pรฅ trรคningsplanen hemma i Gรถteborg. Foto: Veronika Ljung-Nielsen
Nordic Champion Warns of Threats: “The Israelis Incited Their Fans Against Me”
Original Swedish: “Nordisk mästare larmar om hot: Israelerna hetsade sina fans mot mig”
Text and photos: Kristina Hedberg and Veronika Ljung Nielsen · Published: 7 July 2026 · DN · Göteborg
Nordic champion Rufus Wiena — who has spoken out for Palestine — recently had to flee a footvolley tournament in Graz and contact the police.
“The Israelis incited their fans against me,” says Wiena, who believes the sport has long failed to act against similar hate attacks.
Rufus Wiena on the training field at home in Gothenburg. Photo: Veronika Ljung-Nielsen
When Rufus Wiena stepped off the footvolley court in Graz, Austria, on June 6th, after losing to the sport's two top Israeli players, his phone blinked with missed calls. All from his girlfriend. Rufus called back immediately.
“Have you seen?! They're writing that they're going to get you. You need to get away from the Israelis. Now!”
In the seemingly playful setting of a footvolley tournament, Wiena felt forced to flee for his life.
Warm-up underway. Rufus Wiena prepares for a competition in Helsinki. Photo: Veronika Ljung-Nielsen
Already a year ago, Rufus Wiena from Gothenburg followed how his Greek colleague — Ioannis Tsiouris — landed in trouble within the footvolley league because he openly condemned Israel's warfare against the Palestinians. The Greek was met with threats and hatred from Israeli footvolley profiles on social media:
“You will die!”
“You're in deep trouble now. It's over for you.”
“I hope your children and your whore of a mother get raped.”
Wiena couldn't believe his eyes when he read the comments and turned to the organisations within the sport. In a letter to the board members of Footvolley Sweden in August last year, Rufus Wiena wrote that this must be condemned.
“So far, they've reacted by doing nothing, as far as I can see. I became more and more upset. Before this, I was of course not unaffected by the war, but I wasn't outspoken about it either,” says Rufus Wiena.
Rufus Wiena during a performance as a magician. Photo: Private
Alongside his regular job — as a magician and lecturer — Wiena began documenting what he saw as a deeply alarming development within footvolley. On his website, he has posted screenshots of the threats and created a timeline detailing his contacts with those responsible within the sport. He also takes a clear stance for the civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.
Rufus Wiena's views were thus well known when the early-summer tournament in Austria opened. In the very first match in Graz, Wiena and his partner were drawn against an Israeli team.
“One of those players has 25,000 followers and posted a story where he asked them what they should do with someone like me. ‘Post a picture, and we'll take care of him,’ was the response.”
After the threats a year ago, Rufus Wiena began to openly engage in the Palestine issue. Photo: Veronika Ljung-Nielsen
After the match, the Israeli thanked his fans for all the “creative tips” on things to do “off the court.” By then, Wiena was already on his flight home. He has filed police reports about the threats in both Sweden and Austria.
In a formal joint complaint to the executive committee of the European Footvolley League (EFVL), Ioannis Tsiouris and Rufus Wiena demand that the league now act against the threats they have been subjected to. The league has responded that the matter is under review.
“These are strange times we live in. As things stand now, I feel I can't trust anyone at all in the footvolley world,” says Rufus Wiena.
Fact: Footvolley
Footvolley is a young sport — with roots on Copacabana beach — that is growing rapidly internationally.
It is played by two-player teams, on sand — like beach volleyball — but with the net at a lower height.
In footvolley, players are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands; they use their bodies, heads — and feet, of course.
After Brazil, Israel is the country in the world with the most professional players.
When DN contacts those responsible within the sport, the Swedish players' cooperative body — Footvolley Sweden — responds that they “take seriously the information Rufus has provided about threats and harassment.” In an email, the board emphasises that they are “a small non-profit collaborative group at amateur level” but that they have raised the issue with the European league.
EFVL president Igor Oliveira writes to DN that he too takes the situation seriously and that the league — which is under construction — is working to strengthen its “structures and procedures” to guarantee a “safe and respectful environment.”
Oliveira writes that he has been in contact with the sport's Israeli representatives and that EFVL, in parallel, is reviewing how to handle conduct issues going forward: “The current ethical framework may need to be clarified.”
The Israeli league management has not responded to DN's questions.
The Nordic champion trains at home in Kviberg, Gothenburg. But after the past year, he doesn't know if he wants to continue playing. Photo: Veronika Ljung-Nielsen
Rufus Wiena is disappointed with the responses.
“This is a matter of will, not resources.”
Last year he became Swedish and Nordic champion in footvolley, a title he had been fully set on defending. Now he no longer knows if he wants to continue playing.
“I don't want to be associated with a sport that accepts that kind of behaviour. I'm someone who has a hard time accepting injustice. When children or innocent people are harmed, we have an obligation to stand up for each other,” says Rufus Wiena.
This is an unofficial English translation of the original Swedish article published by Dagens Nyheter (DN). The original article is available at dn.se (subscription required).
DN (Dagens Nyheter) is one of Sweden's largest and most influential national newspapers.
๐ฅ One of Sweden's most viewed, liked, and shared news stories today โ viral spread across DN's social media and beyond: over one million video views, tens of thousands of likes, shares and reactions.
DN.se article screenshot, mobile crop, click to zoom
The article was featured across 6 sections on DN.se: front page, Sport, Israel-Palestina, Gaza, Gรถteborg, and Nyhetsdygnet 7 July 2026.
DN ยท Dagens Nyheter ยท Kristina Hedberg ยท Swedish national newspaper coverage
๐คฒ Thank You, the People of Sweden
Featured across six sections on DN.se. Front page. Sport. Israel-Palestina. Gaza. Gรถteborg. Nyhetsdygnet. 7 July 2026.
The REACH has been BEYOND anything we imagined!
The people of Sweden stood up. Athletes, artists, public figures, everyday people. They raised their voices in disgust at the threats. In disgust at the silence. Worldwide.
To Kristina Hedberg and her team at Dagens Nyheter: thank you for the courage to investigate and publish. You gave this story a platform. You gave it reach. You gave it a voice.
From Gรถteborg to the people of Sweden. From the people of Sweden to the world. Thank you for standing with humanity.
Gratitude ยท Sweden ยท DN ยท Community
๐ฆ๐น 14 July 2026 โ Kleine Zeitung Covers Graz Threat Incident
Kleine Zeitung, one of Austria's major regional newspapers with strong reach in Styria and Carinthia, reported in an article by Alfred Lobnik what happened to Swedish footvolley player Rufus Wiena in Graz after threatening messages, with police investigations underway in Austria and Sweden.
Thank you to Alfred Lobnik for covering the Graz incident and helping bring the Austrian police-investigation context into the public record.
The full article from Kleine Zeitung is available at the link below.
The article states that reports have been filed in both Sweden and Graz, with investigations running in parallel.
Markus Lamb, police spokesperson, confirmed that the criminal investigation department of the Graz city police command is currently investigating the matter.
Kleine Zeitung ยท Austria ยท Graz incident ยท Alfred Lobnik
๐ 15 July 2026 โ Globetrotter-Produced Article Syndicated Internationally
A Globetrotter-produced article by Rufus Wiena, connected with the work of Carlos Ron and the wider journalist/support network, was published/reposted across several international outlets and news feeds under the title โThe Price of Solidarity: How Israel Weaponized European Footvolley and the Institutions That Looked Away.โ Together with earlier reporting by Dagens Nyheter, Kleine Zeitung, Proletรคren, and Counterview, the coverage now reaches audiences across Sweden, Austria, Malaysia, India / South Asia, Sri Lanka, Canada / North America, and wider independent-media networks.
Thank you to Carlos Ron, Soledad Varela, Vijay Prashad, and the wider Globetrotter / Tricontinental network for writing, assisting, publishing, and helping this story travel through international media networks.
The original DN reporting and the Carlos Ron / Rufus Wiena text remain the reference versions. The outlets linked here show the story's wider public circulation; any later editorial changes made by third-party sites or mirrors remain the responsibility of those publishers.
Globetrotter ยท Carlos Ron ยท Soledad Varela ยท Vijay Prashad ยท Tricontinental ยท Rufus Wiena ยท Counterview ยท Proletรคren ยท Aliran ยท ZNetwork ยท CounterPunch ยท Countercurrents ยท South Asia Journal ยท Sri Lanka Guardian ยท The Left Chapter ยท Palestine Uncensored ยท FR INTELL
๐ฅ 21 July 2026 โ Irish Sport for Palestine Publishes English Interview
โBombs, Threats and Silence: Why Footvolley Must Answer.โ
Irish Sport for Palestine published a new English-language video interview with Rufus Wiena on the FTVR case. The interview brings the case into a clear video format for English-speaking audiences: documented threats, allegedly military-glorifying content connected to footvolley accounts, institutional silence, and the wider question of whether athletes can stand for humanity and Palestine without being threatened or isolated.
Thank you to Irish Sport for Palestine for publishing it, and helping the story reach people beyond the footvolley community.
Irish Sport for Palestine ยท English interview ยท Bombs, Threats and Silence ยท FTVR ยท Palestine solidarity in sport
๐๏ธ 10 August 2026 โ Rufus Wiena Confronts Footvolleyโs Silence on PalestinaPodden
In the Swedish podcast PalestinaPodden, Rufus Wiena confronts the footvolley communityโs silence after documented death threats against Yiannis and rape threats against his family, and after a documented Instagram post showed an object appearing to be a bomb casing signed โFootvolley โค๏ธโ and tagged with @worldfootvolley and several other footvolley accounts.
Rufus rejects the excuse โdo not mix politics with sportโ: โTrying to label something as politics is an excuse to look away or remain silent.โ Silence does not remove politics from sport. It protects the people responsible, abandons those targeted and allows violent conduct to become normal.
For listeners in other countries: AI dubbing tools can translate uploaded audio or supported links, but their output may contain errors and is not an official translation. Consult the original Swedish recording for exact wording.
PalestinaPodden ยท Rufus Wiena ยท Swedish podcast ยท Silence is complicity ยท Athlete safety ยท Gaza
Expose
"No politics in sport" doesn't exist.
Sport has never been separate from society. Every major social movement in history has played out on the field, on the court, and in the arena. From Jesse Owens to Muhammad Ali, from Tommie Smith's raised fist to Colin Kaepernick's knee — sport is where injustice becomes visible and where courage becomes contagious.
Today, the footvolley community is no exception. While the Israel Footvolley Association (IFVA) and its supporters aggressively demand “no politics in sport” from European players and organizers, they simultaneously engage in overt political sportswashing themselves — a stance that the European Footvolley League (EFVL) has largely normalized without critical judgement.
This strategy includes the use of footvolley events, international partnerships, influencer athletes, propaganda-style content, and guided tours connected to the October 7th attacks to build international sympathy, normalize the actions of the Israeli state, and strengthen its image within the global footvolley community. At the same time, players who speak out against genocide, apartheid, war crimes, intimidation, or dehumanization are attacked, threatened, or silenced.
When players accept money from a state accused of committing an active genocide — while federations ignore intimidation and death threats directed at those who object — sport itself becomes complicit. Silence is not neutrality. Neutrality is a political choice.
The TAFC Connection:Anderson Águia, a World Champion and arguably the most influential figure in global footvolley, has lent his brand and credibility to TAFC Israel by organizing tournaments in Eilat while the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled Israel's occupation illegal and UN experts have called for Israel's suspension from international sport. At the same time, hundreds of Palestinian athletes have been killed and more than two hundred sports venues destroyed in Gaza alone. As the world's largest footvolley tournament series, TAFC has become one of the primary vehicles through which Israel gains international sporting legitimacy inside the footvolley community.
The contradiction is obvious: politics are considered “unacceptable” only when players challenge oppression — never when sport is used to normalize it.
The material below documents examples of this broader strategy, the public positioning of the Israel Footvolley Association (IFVA), and the wider effort to politically instrumentalize footvolley while demanding silence from those who object.
@ronbenishai.ftv"I urge all Israelis not to respond to this page" + calls to eliminate Yiannis from EFVL
Ron Ben Ishai (@ronbenishai.ftv) โ Israeli footvolley player. IG story titled "Politics & Sport โ The ugly side of our footvolley community".
Hebrew: "ืืขืืื ืืื ืื ืจืฉืื ืืื ืืื ืขื ืืื ืื ืืื ืืื ืงืืฆืื ื ืืฆืืืข" = "The most unofficial page, run by one extremist and hypocritical person"
Hebrew: "ืื ื ืืคืฆืืจ ืืื ืืืฉืจืืืื ืื ืืืชืืืืก/ืื ืกืืช ืืงืืืข/ืืฉืืื ืืืืขืืช ืืขืืื ืืื" = "I urge all Israelis not to respond/engage/send messages to this page"
Hebrew: "ืืืชืื ื ืืฉ ืขืื ืงืืืื ืืืืืื ืฉื ืคืืฆืืืืื ืฉืืฉืืื ืืงืื ืืชืื" = "In Athens there is another amazing footvolley community that would be happy to welcome you"
The post also shows two DM screenshots where Yiannis Tsiouris (@footvolley.athens) responds to Israeli players wanting to visit Athens: "During the last period of active genocide in the Middle East we have decided to boycott people who explicitly or implicitly support it."
Bottom text directed at @europeanfootvolleyleague: "I hope this person is not taking part on EFVL decisions, and if so he should be eliminated immediately"
Posted by @ronbenishai.ftv
@ronbenishai.ftvEconomic threats: "I will personally take care no one from Israel will ever work with you"
Ron Ben Ishai (@ronbenishai.ftv) โ Israeli footvolley player (verified account). Messages include: "I will personally take care no one from Israel will ever train/work/pay/collaborate anything with you. Good luck. Keep supporting terror organisations and delegitimise Israel people." โ economic threats and intimidation against a player who posted about Palestinian casualties.
Location: ืืืฃ ืคืจืืฉืื ืชื ืืืื = Frishman Beach, Tel Aviv
Date: 03/10/25
Hebrew caption: "ื-03.10.25 ืืืื ื ื ืืคืืฉ ืขื ืืืฃ ืคืจืืฉืื ืืชื ืืืื, ืืืืจื ืืจ ืืืืื ืฉืืืงืืฉ ืืืืืืจืื ืืืืืชืืื ืฉืื ื" = "On 03.10.25 we all meet at Frishman Beach in Tel Aviv, for a special tournament dedicated to our true heroes"
IDF Propaganda TourHebrew: "With the Brazilians on an incredibly important tour"
IDF propaganda tour with Brazilians
Hebrew: "ืืชืืื ื. ืขื ืืืจืืืืืื ืืกืืืจ ืืฉืื ืืืื ืืืืื" = "We started. With the Brazilians on an incredibly important tour"
Hebrew: "ืืืืืจ ืืืืจ ืืืืื ืืืจืื" = "And the legendary Amir Zohar as guide"
October 7 Propaganda TourPortuguese: "Opportunity to be inside history"
October 7 propaganda tour
Portuguese: "Tour - Atentado de 07/10/23" = "Tour - Attack of 07/10/23"
"Oportunidade de estar dentro da histรณria e compreender por prismas diferentes" = "Opportunity to be inside history and understand through different perspectives"
Posted by @israel_footvolley, reshared by @marii_leo
Kibbutz Nir Oz MemorialHebrew: "From the family of Nir Oz" โ "Kidnapped!" โ "Murdered"
Kibbutz Nir Oz memorial
Hebrew: "ืืืฉืคืืช ื ืืจ ืขืื" = "From the family of Nir Oz" | "ืืืืฃ!" = "Kidnapped!" | "ื ืจืฆืื" = "Murdered"
Portuguese: "Esse vilarejo foi o mais atingido pelo Hamas no dia 07/10, das 220 casas dessa pequena e tranquila comunidade somente 6 nรฃo foram atingidas. Os terroristas destruรญram famรญlias inteiras nesse lugar!" = "This village was the most affected by Hamas on 07/10, of the 220 houses only 6 were not hit. The terrorists destroyed entire families!"
Reshared by Gabriel Martins
IDF Propaganda Tour โ Nova FestivalHebrew: "Uri Harpaz ยท The sand will remember"
IDF Propaganda Tour โ Nova Festival memorial site
Brazilian footvolley players taken on a guided propaganda tour of the Nova Festival memorial site.
Hebrew: "ืืืจื ืืจืคื ยท ืืืื ืืืืืจ" = "Uri Harpaz ยท The sand will remember"
Tagged: @nataly.rotem
Posted by @israel_footvolley
IDF Propaganda Tour โ Gaza BorderHebrew: "Tour with our Brazilians to the Gaza border, to the war"
IDF Propaganda Tour โ Gaza Border Area
Hebrew: "ืกืืืจ ืขื ืืชืืืจืื ืฉืื ื, ืืืจืืืืืื ืืขืืืฃ ืขืื, ืืืืืื. ืืืืจืื, ืืฉืืงื ืืืืื, ืืืืจ ืืืืจ." = "Tour with our tourists, the Brazilians to the Gaza border area, to the war. The guide, the player-fighter, Amir Zohar."
#bringthemhomenow ๐๏ธ
Tagged: @nataly.rotem, @amirzoha1
Posted by @israel_footvolley
"The King of Footvolley" in IDF UniformHebrew: "The king of footvolley guards us at the Gaza border"
Amir Zohar (@amirzoha1) in full IDF uniform with rifle
Hebrew: "ืืื ืืคืืฆ'ื ืฉืืืจ ืขืืื ื ืืขืืืฃ" = "The king of footvolley guards us at the Gaza border area"
Amir Zohar โ described by @israel_footvolley as the "legendary guide" and "player-fighter" โ photographed in full IDF military uniform with an assault rifle, sitting at a military position near the Gaza border. The same person who leads propaganda tours for international footvolley players.
Tagged: @amirzoha1
Posted by @israel_footvolley
Hasbara: The $730 Million Propaganda Machine
Israel's 2026 public diplomacy budget โ known as Hasbara (Hebrew for โexplanationโ) โ has been approved at approximately $730 million, a massive increase from $150 million in 2025. This state-funded propaganda campaign supports social media campaigns, influencer outreach, official trips, institutional partnerships, and messaging aimed at shaping international opinion.
When sport becomes part of that image-making machinery, it becomes sportswashing. Uniforms become lifestyle content. Occupation becomes soft power. Silence becomes policy.
Footvolley's relatively small size makes it an especially effective sportswashing vehicle: less media scrutiny, a tightly connected community where dissent can be marginalized, and the ability to buy legitimacy through a handful of influential figures rather than lobbying massive federations like FIFA.
FTVR documents how political messaging, military imagery, and alleged commercial links to Israeli military supply networks appear around the sport โ while institutions responsible for athlete safety continue to treat the issue as a private dispute.
Join FTVR
Why we play
We Love To Play Footvolley!
We love footvolley โ or futevรดlei โ because it gives something back every time we step onto the sand. Barefoot, in bathing shorts, under the sun, beside the ocean, with wind in our faces and sometimes rain on our shoulders, the game becomes more than a sport. It becomes joy, freedom, movement, and play.
Footvolley is simple to start and impossible to finish mastering. The touch, the timing, the balance, the creativity, the athletic challenge โ there is always another level to reach. And once you get hooked, that feeling is addictive: one more rally, one more session, one more chance to improve.
This is a sport for all ages, all levels, and all kinds of people. Beginners can enjoy it at their own pace. Experienced players can keep pushing the limits. Men and women, young and old, casual players and competitors โ everyone should feel welcome to start, continue, learn, sweat, laugh, and grow.
Footvolley also opens doors. Across beaches, cities, cultures, languages, and life stories, it creates connections that would not exist otherwise. It is a place where the West could meet the Global Majority, where different contexts come together, and where new bridges can be built through something as simple and beautiful as a ball in the air.
Letโs play footvolley โ and have fun.
What FTVR stands for
No threats in sport. No empty words. Real support.
FTVR is more than a footvolley club โ it is a movement. A global community that stands with humanity, resists oppression, and refuses to normalize genocide, war crimes, threats, intimidation, or the disturbing realities we have witnessed in parts of the footvolley community โ both on and off the footvolley court.
FTVR stands for athlete safety, human dignity, anti-racism, anti-harassment, freedom of conscience and expression, and equal protection for all athletes. We believe sport should protect people, not silence victims. If you join this community, the mindset is different: we stand up for each other, care for each other, and refuse to abandon people when it matters.
FTVR is open and decentralized โ meaning there is no single point of failure. Anyone can build on top of this, expand it, and grow the community. Only your imagination is the limit.
Athlete safetyHuman dignityNo threats in sportEqual protectionAnti-racismCommunity care
โ WELCOME
ANYONE* can join FTVR โ as a member or a supporter โ anywhere in the world, at any time. It is completely free. No registration, no fees. Simply stand with humanity, follow our policy, and represent FTVR. That's it.
*Provided you follow our community policy.
Also (if you want), you can even expand the movement by creating your own branch โ like "FTVR Brazil", "Footvolley Resistance Helsinki" โ and grow a healthy community that protects each other and stands up for each other.
Anyone who stands with humanity, shows respect and good behavior is welcome โ both religious and non-religious people. See specifics in our policy in the footer.
โ NOT WELCOME
You are not welcome in this community if you:
Threaten, intimidate, harass, or behave aggressively toward footvolley players, their families, friends, or communities
Support โ explicitly or implicitly โ the actions, policies, or military operations of the IDF
Support, enable, justify, or participate in genocide, war crimes, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, or crimes against humanity โ including the ongoing atrocities in Gaza
Promote or support Zionism, Nazism, fascism or other ethno-supremacist and dehumanizing ideologies including those of the illegal apartheid state of Israel
Fail to comply with our community behavior and ethical standards policy (detailed below)
How to participate
Represent. Share. Protect each other.
Represent Footvolley Resistance directly in your area
Use our logo on clothes, accessories, and equipment (free to copy and use)
Share our content and hashtags on social media
Print and display our tags anywhere footvolley is played
Create your own local branch using our materials (free to copy and use)
Defend and protect each other โ on and off the court
Spread the word โ speak up, stand together
Logo Kit
The official FTVR logo for your clothes, social media, or branch materials. Free for all members and supporters.
Donate to Gaza and the oppressed, share the website, use our logo, and speak out for humanity โ also when athletes are threatened or silenced. Do what you can. Do your best.
Use our logo. Share the stance. Play footvolley.
FTVR Policy
Clear. Simple. Non-negotiable.
No genocide. No ethnic cleansing. No war crimes. No crimes against humanity.
No blood money. We do not associate with anyone who supports, funds, or profits from the above.
Protect each other. We stand behind each other and speak out for each other.
Protect children. Any form of child exploitation, abuse, or harm is non-negotiable.
Free speech. No censorship.
Respect. Respect each other in the FTVR community. Show integrity, and always defend each other โ verbally, in writing, and physically if the situation demands it.
Insurance: Each player is responsible for their own sports insurance and liability.
Open membership. Anyone can join at any time. Free and decentralized. Need an official document? Contact us.
Brand & Community Responsibility
FTVR is a decentralised global community. We condemn and do not accept any wrongdoing, bad behaviour, or misuse of our club name, brand, or hashtags. While we cannot take responsibility for any individual in a decentralised movement, we take a crystal clear stand against any behaviour that contradicts our community guidelines. Anyone acting outside these guidelines does not represent FTVR.
Addressing the elephant in the room
We must be transparent: so far, almost exclusively people from, associated with, or supporters of Israel have been behaving extremely aggressively and hostile within the global footvolley community. That is UNACCEPTABLE for FTVR. However, we remind everyone that this applies to anybody, anywhere โ any bad behaviour from any corner of the world is equally unacceptable. On that important note:
๐ฎ๐ฑ Israeli passport holders
You cannot be guilty by association simply because you were born in Israel. If you hold an Israeli passport, stand behind our policies, do not Support โ explicitly or implicitly โ the actions, policies, or military operations of the IDF, and stand against Israel's war crimes and genocide โ you are MORE THAN WELCOME to play under FTVR. In fact, we would be glad to see Israelis who stand with humanity showing the way for other Israelis in the global footvolley community.
Where do we stand?
Against the current government of Israel. Against the ongoing genocide in Gaza. For equal human rights. For peace. We do not promote violence or hate โ but we strongly encourage everyone in FTVR to defend and protect themselves and others in any justifiable way. We advocate only for lawful self-defense and protection.
Have you served IDF? The IDF โ founded in 1948 from organisations classified as terrorist (Irgun, Lehi/Stern Gang) and the paramilitary Haganah โ has current and former soldiers under investigation for war crimes. Some "soldiers" have chosen not to participate. Where do you stand?
โ ๏ธWarning: Graphic Content
Click to reveal
IDF soldier says he snipes children in head and chest for fun ("The world's most moral army!")
Further graphic-content documentation is archived by Watermelon Crimes โ https://watermeloncrimes.com
All claims on this website are supported by documented evidence including screenshots, public social media posts, and official correspondence. FTVR reserves the right to update or correct any information. This website expresses the opinions and documented experiences of the FTVR community.
For media, legal support, general inquiries or solidarity work โ contact us directly.
Please include who you are, what organization you represent if any, and how you want to help.
If you have received threats of violence, sexual assault threats, or coordinated harassment, we encourage you to preserve the evidence and file a formal police report in your jurisdiction.
If you hold evidence connected to war crimes, crimes against humanity, or sportswashing activities connected to states under investigation, consider contacting appropriate legal bodies, human-rights organizations, or the Hind Rajab Foundation.
FTVR will continue preserving verified evidence, documenting misconduct, and building an undeniable record of accountability.
THERE'S NO MORE TIME FOR NEUTRALITY
YOU CANNOT SAY YOU DIDN'T KNOW
YOU CANNOT SAY YOU WERE NOT SURE
Simply stand with humanity, follow our policy, and represent FTVR. That's it. No registration, no fees. Anyone, anywhere, anytime. That is why FTVR is a decentralized footvolley club! ๐
Yes, if your local rules allow it. If not, you can still represent FTVR through our tags, logo, and community presence. You choose what place you want to represent.
Yes! Feel free to start a branch in your city or country โ e.g. "Footvolley Resistance Helsinki" or "FTVR Brazil". Download our logo and use our hashtags. The beauty of this decentralised club.
FTVR is a footvolley community first: people who love the game, the sand, the sun, the friendships, the rallies, the travel, and the simple joy of playing futevรดlei together. We stand with humanity because we want footvolley to stay what it should be โ fun, welcoming, safe, and full of life.
OUR TEAM โ For one year, FTVR has been in closed-door meetings across borders.
We are now a fully decentralized footvolley club โ linked to government entities, investigative journalists, cybersecurity experts, hackers, and human rights advocates working inside and outside the global footvolley community. Many of them. Everywhere.
We will NEVER forget.
Cases are being filed. Evidence is secured. Financial trails are mapped. The decentralized machinery turns โ regardless of threats, deletions, or distance.
If you have threatened, harassed, or enabled crimes against humanity โ if you or your organization have taken blood money, sportwashed genocide, or believed your uniform protects you: we see you, and we will expose you.
There is no neutrality. There is no hiding.
"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor."
โ Desmond Tutu
Justice will prevail. It is not optional. It is inevitable.
Which side of history โ and humanity โ do you stand on?
Zionism is a political ideology, not a religion. Judaism is a faith; Zionism is a nationalist movement founded by Theodor Herzl in the late 19th century. Many Jewish scholars, rabbis, and activists around the world voice their criticism of Zionism and Israeli government policies.
Important facts:
Palestinians are Semitic people โ opposing genocide against them is NOT antisemitic
Many Jewish scholars, rabbis, and activists voice their criticism of Zionism and Israeli policies
Some key concepts and terms:
Theodor Herzl (1860โ1904) โ Founder of political Zionism
Balfour Declaration (1917) โ British promise for a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine โ issued without consulting the indigenous Palestinian population
Haavara Agreement (1933) โ Transfer agreement between Nazi Germany and Zionist German Jews
Plan Dalet (1948) โ Zionist military plan that included operations of ethnic cleansing
Nakba (1948) โ "The Catastrophe": Ethnic cleansing and displacement of more than 750,000 Palestinians
IDF Origins (1948) โ Founded May 26, 1948, incorporating the Haganah and elements of Irgun and Lehi
Sabra and Shatila Massacre (1982) โ Mass killing of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians; estimates of 2,000 to 3,500 casualties
AIPAC โ A prominent pro-Israel lobbying organization in the United States
...the list goes on and on. Educate yourself. The truth is available to anyone willing to look.
THE WEAPONIZATION OF "ANTISEMITISM"
Does opposing genocide make you antisemitic?
No. And a former Israeli Minister of Education said so herself.
Shulamit Aloni, former Israeli Minister of Education, admitted on Democracy Now (14 August 2002):
"Well, it's a trick, we always use it. When from Europe somebody is criticizing Israel, then we bring up the Holocaust. When in this country people are criticizing Israel, then they are anti-Semitic... and the suffering of the Jewish people, and that is [used to] justify everything we do to the Palestinians."
โ Shulamit Aloni, Democracy Now, August 14, 2002
The real meaning of antisemitism
Real antisemitism โ hatred of Jewish people for being Jewish โ exists, and it is rising. But real antisemitism is being fuelled by the very people who claim to fight it: when a state commits genocide "in the name of all Jews," it puts Jewish communities worldwide at risk. The Zionist movement's exploitation of Judaism as a political shield is the single greatest driver of modern antisemitism.
Palestinians ARE Semitic people. The accusation of "antisemitism" against those defending Palestinian rights is not just false โ it is paradoxical.
The weaponization
In the footvolley community, players have told us they are afraid to speak out โ not because they support genocide, but because they fear being called "antisemitic." This is exactly the chilling effect the accusation is designed to produce.
When you respect religions โ Judaism, Islam, Christianity โ but reject ethno-supremacist political ideologies like Zionism or Nazism, that does not make you antisemitic.
Jewish voices leading the criticism
Some of the most powerful critics of Zionism are Jewish scholars and activists:
Norman Finkelstein โ Holocaust scholar whose parents were concentration camp survivors
Max Blumenthal โ Jewish-American journalist and author exposing Israeli crimes
Glenn Greenwald โ Jewish-American journalist documenting US-Israeli war crimes
Independent voices:
Francesca Albanese โ UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian rights
George Galloway โ British politician and vocal critic of Israeli policies
Prof. Seyed Mohammad Marandi โ Iranian academic
John Mearsheimer โ Political scientist, co-author of "The Israel Lobby"
Jeffrey Sachs โ Economist criticizing US foreign policy on Israel
Iran's Jewish community
Iran maintains the largest Jewish population in the Middle East outside Israel โ approximately 15,000 people โ with over 20 synagogues in Tehran alone. Jewish communities can and do thrive outside of the Zionist project.
Remember:
Palestinians are Semitic people
Opposing genocide is not antisemitic
Many Jewish voices lead the criticism of Zionism
Zionism is a political ideology, not a religion
The Holocaust is being exploited to justify another genocide
Hamas and Hezbollah were formed as direct responses to Israeli aggression โ specifically after the Sabra and Shatila Massacre (1982), in which Israeli forces facilitated the killing of over 3,000 Palestinian refugees in Beirut camps.
The IDF itself has its origins in organizations internationally classified as terrorist groups โ Irgun, Lehi, and Haganah โ responsible for massacres including Deir Yassin (1948) where 107 Palestinian villagers were killed.
The history from 1948 to today is filled with resistance, resilience, and the unyielding spirit of a people striving for their rights and dignity. Resistance movements do not emerge in a vacuum โ they are born from decades of occupation, displacement, and systematic violence.
These are direct quotes from senior Israeli government officials. Note: These statements come from Israel's own media including Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, and official government press conferences โ not third-party sources.
The United Nations has listed Israel on its blacklist for sexual violence in conflict (June 2025). The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Yoav Gallant (Defense Minister, 9 Oct 2023): "We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly"
Benjamin Netanyahu (Prime Minister, 28 Oct 2023): Referenced biblical Amalek โ "You must remember what Amalek has done to you" โ a biblical command to destroy men, women, children, and infants
Isaac Herzog (President, 13 Oct 2023): "It is an entire nation out there that is responsible. It's not true this rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved"
Bezalel Smotrich (Finance Minister): "There's no such thing as Palestinians because there's no such thing as a Palestinian people" โ said while standing behind a "Greater Israel" map that included Jordan. Also called for the utter destruction of the cities of Rafah, Deir al-Balah, and Khan Younis. Currently facing an ICC arrest warrant request
Smotrich (1 Mar 2023): The Palestinian village of Huwara "needs to be wiped out" by the State of Israel
Amichai Eliyahu (Heritage Minister): Suggested striking the Gaza Strip with a nuclear bomb
Yitzhak Wasserlauf (Minister, Otzma Yehudit Party): Called on Israeli soldiers to "smash Palestinian babies on rocks"
Itamar Ben Gvir (National Security Minister): Described Zionist settlers spitting on Christians inside Jerusalem as "an ancient Jewish custom" and "not a criminal case"
Itamar Ben Gvir (National Security Minister): "Imprison their women and children" โ called on Israeli troops to abduct Lebanese civilians (source)
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir reportedly urged the political-security cabinet to detain Lebanese women and children as part of a psychological pressure strategy.
Benjamin Netanyahu (Prime Minister): "There is no place for two states between the sea and the Jordan River" โ official statement from the Prime Minister's Office
Itamar Ben Gvir (National Security Minister): "All of Lebanon must burn" โ declared after the deaths of Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon (source)
Jared Kushner (former Senior Advisor to the US President): "Recognizing a Palestinian state would be rewarding an act of terror"
Norman Finkelstein on Israeli society:
"47% of Israeli Jews support a genocide in Gaza. They were asked: When the IDF enters a city, should they kill everybody? 47% said yes. Then: Are there any innocents in Gaza? 62% said no. If you factor out the 20% of Israelis who are not Jewish, it's 70% who say there are no innocents in Gaza from age zero on up."
โ Norman Finkelstein
"A leader of the opposition in Israel said: 'Our soldiers killed children as a hobby.' The genocide is a national project."
A partial timeline of documented atrocities:
1917 โ Balfour Declaration: Britain promises Palestine to Zionists without consulting Palestinians
1933 โ Haavara Agreement: Transfer agreement between Nazi Germany and Zionist organizations
1948 โ Plan Dalet: Zionist military plan for ethnic cleansing of Palestine
2008โ2009 โ Operation Cast Lead: 1,400+ Palestinians killed in Gaza
2012 โ Operation Pillar of Defense: 170+ Palestinians killed
2014 โ Operation Protective Edge: 2,200+ Palestinians killed including 500+ children
2018 โ Great March of Return: Israeli snipers kill 200+ unarmed protesters
2021 โ Sheikh Jarrah and Gaza: 250+ Palestinians killed
2023โongoing โ Gaza genocide: 50,000+ Palestinians killed, ICJ rules occupation illegal, UN experts call for Israel's suspension from international sport
This is a partial list. The full history is far more extensive. Educate yourself.
The following are real responses from footvolley players when asked about the documented threats, the genocide, and the silence in our community.
"Do you not think it is horrible what has happened to our friend in the FTV community?"
"I have chosen not to have an opinion." โ Spanish FTV player
"What do you think about the threats documented on ftvresistance.com?"
"I do not want to get involved in politics." โ Norwegian FTV player
"It is not complicated to say it is wrong to murder, rape, and slaughter women and children!?"
"Yes, it is complicated." โ Swedish FTV referee
"Why do you not speak out against the Zionists?"
"It is complicated, if I say something in Germany I will be called an antisemite!" โ German FTV player
"You know that you are accepting money that is alleged to be directly connected to Israel and linked to the IDF, and you have no problem with this?"
"No, I will not have any other opportunity to make money!" โ Italian FTV player
How can you look yourself in the mirror?
A man who sells himself for money is a soulless man and a dangerous man.
Ignorance is one of the roots and stems of all evil. You are complicit if you choose to ignore, stay silent, or remain "neutral" while watching friends in your community get attacked, and while women and children are being slaughtered in front of your eyes.
So let us ask you this: Why don't you find some courage and at least do the right thing? Start to speak up. Protect the innocent children, the women, your family and your friends. Start to believe in something bigger than the Zionist Hasbara propaganda filling the west with blood money laundered through central banks.
Only the universe and God will judge you. But history will remember where you stood.
BREAKING THE SILENCE โ PLAYERS WHO DARE TO SPEAK
Not everyone chose silence. These are real messages from players across the world coming into light after the creation of FTVR.
"What you guys are doing is so good and brave! I want to speak up as well." โ Austrian FTV player
"You are doing a marvelous job. I wish EFVL and LoC had some balls to make an official statement, but they are afraid of the Israelis." โ Swedish FTV player
"More voices like yours are needed!" โ UK FTV player
"Great job. These people in Israel have been brainwashed since birth. Continue this fight." โ Israeli FTV player
"Of course I condemn my own government, state and IDF's actions. Actually, I see myself as a Palestinian more than Israeli." โ Israeli FTV player
What is sportswashing?
Sportswashing is the practice of using sport to improve a tarnished reputation โ typically by governments accused of human rights abuses. It works by associating a state's image with the positive emotions of athletic competition, distracting from atrocities and building international legitimacy.
How does Israel use sportswashing?
Israel has systematically used sport as a tool to normalize its occupation and improve its international image. Through events like TAFC Israel (organized in Eilat), IDF "Heroes Tournaments," and propaganda tours for international athletes, Israel leverages the footvolley community to project an image of normalcy while committing genocide in Gaza.
The $730 Million Hasbara Budget
Israel's 2026 public diplomacy budget โ known as Hasbara (Hebrew for "explanation") โ has been approved at approximately $730 million, a massive increase from $150 million in 2025. This state-funded propaganda campaign covers social media campaigns, influencer outreach, trips for officials, and partnerships with NGOs. Despite this investment, the campaign has struggled to contain global backlash.
Why footvolley?
Footvolley's small size makes it an ideal sportswashing vehicle. Unlike FIFA or the Olympics, footvolley has less media scrutiny, a tighter community where dissent is punished, and it's easier to buy legitimacy through a single influential figure (like Anderson รguia and TAFC) rather than lobbying massive international federations.
The AIPAC connection
AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) is one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the United States, advocating for U.S. military and diplomatic support for Israel. The broader Hasbara network โ of which AIPAC is a key player โ works to shape public opinion globally, fund pro-Israel narratives, and silence criticism of Israeli policies by labeling it as antisemitism.
Why does this matter?
When athletes accept money from a state committing genocide โ ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice โ they become complicit in sportswashing. When federations look the other way while players send death threats to those who speak up, sport itself becomes a weapon. Silence is complicity. Neutrality is a choice โ and it is the wrong one.
Educate yourself. The truth is available โ but you won't find it on mainstream western media.
Independent journalists & voices
Francesca Albanese โ UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian rights
George Galloway โ British politician, host of MOATS
Norman Finkelstein โ Holocaust scholar, son of concentration camp survivors
Max Blumenthal โ Jewish-American journalist, The Grayzone
Glenn Greenwald โ Jewish-American journalist
Prof. John Mearsheimer โ Political scientist, co-author of The Israel Lobby
Prof. Jeffrey Sachs โ Economist, Columbia University
