Palestinian footballer Honey Thaljieh: "Football can help stop genocide."

BarcelonaHoney Thaljieh (1985) loves soccer like crazy. As a child, she would run around the streets of her native Bethlehem, one of the oldest cities in the world (believed to be the birthplace of Jesus), chasing a ball. Back then, it was just a game. Surrounded by children, she made it clear that she wouldn't back down from being a girl. "We Palestinians love soccer like crazy," explains this woman who defines herself as Palestinian, Arab, Christian, and a soccer fan. She was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Palestinian women's national team and is now the first woman from the Middle East to work at FIFA. Thaljieh has returned to Barcelona for the first congress. The Change, designed to promote women's sport. She receives the ARA at the Gallery Hotel, a few hours before going to watch the Barça-Bayern Women's Champions League match. She admits she struggles to focus on the match, as her mind has been elsewhere for months. At home.

"Many days you feel like you're losing hope. Every day you wake up thinking that a genocide is taking place. I live in Europe and I suffer. But imagine who wakes up in Gaza thinking that maybe it's their last day. Older people, children, families, thinking that maybe they won't survive anymore. What they've seen? But I still believe in the strength of Palestinians who believe in peace. We're giving a lesson in dignity, in fighting for equality.

In recent days, however, he has been filled with positive energy. In Barcelona, he has met many people who have supported him. He has seen how several stadium stands are filled with flags calling for an end to the genocide and has participated in some events in Bilbao, where Athletic Bilbao positioned itself as one of the clubs most openly critical of Netanyahu's government and supported the Palestinians. "It's a time to regain faith and see that there are still good people, even in this time when many people don't want to Seeing that there's a genocide. Football can help stop it, to get this message across. We've seen acts of solidarity in many stadiums, and it's moving. It was very emotional to step onto the San Mamés pitch and hear the solidarity. It's not only calling for an end to the genocide, but also caring for refugees coming from Gaza with a project that's been ongoing for years. History will not forget what Athletic has done for all of us," she recalls emotionally. The tribute in question, by the way, was only seen through the Biscayan club's official channels. La Liga's television signal didn't show it.

That's the strength of football. "This sport is a very powerful tool for rebuilding and changing lives, but it can't perform miracles. Once the genocide is over and we come to understand what's happening, we'll see that there's a great deal of trauma. Football can help, it can be a tool for healing. It celebrates life, offers dignity, and allows people to see each other. It's over, trying to recover. I haven't lost hope," he hopes, highlighting how football still offers moments today to try to bear the pain however possible.

"When a Clásico is on, people go crazy in Palestine. The streets are full of Barça fans and Real Madrid fans, everyone talks about the match. Even amid the destruction in Gaza, people wanted to see the Clásico; it gave them hope," he adds. Their national team has also given Palestinians reasons to be proud. The men's team, which didn't debut until the 1990s, qualified for the final stages of the Asian Cup and shone in the World Cup qualifiers, where a penalty conceded in the final minutes left them with no chance of qualifying. "They competed at a very high level in the midst of destruction. With problems traveling, organizing. Football has great power and has given us Palestinians pride in the worst of times. In the past, it has served to fight against dictatorships or apartheid. To make their home proud, when teenagers go to their home. When I was a teenager, when I was a teenager, a cousin was murdered."

From the streets to a stadium with 15,000 people

"At the time, I thought I wouldn't be able to play football. But when I entered university to study business administration, there was an advertisement for a football program. I thought football could be free. When I answered, the coach looked at me and told me I was the first woman. They were all boys. But I didn't give in to an unpopular group, and with the support of the coaches, I gathered volleyball and basketball teams. It wasn't well-regarded to see women playing football at the time, but we wanted to change the narrative about Palestinian women," she recounts. That team was the foundation of the first Palestinian women's national team. Women who were insulted for wearing shorts or leaving their hair uncovered, whether they were Christian or Muslim. They never wavered and were able to make their debut in front of more than 15,000 people at a match in which Thaljieh was injured. "I had to be there, and I came on in the final minutes," she recalls.

Honey wants a future where Palestinian girls can dream of being soccer players. "Now what should you tell a girl? What we do is learn from them, from how they survive in this context," she says. "But I want Palestinian girls to have the dream of being like the Barça players. Look at the level of soccer here in Barcelona, ​​​​their technique. It shows that if you invest in women's soccer, you get results. That's why we have to ask for more support, have sponsors... It's not about asking for charity, it's about investing in talent. We need men. Let them help. Until now, women have opened the doors without asking permission.