Argentina vs. Uruguay Soccer Match Scheduled for Tel Aviv Under BDS Attack

(JTA) — The soccer match between the national teams of Argentina and Uruguay scheduled to be held later this month in Israel is under attack by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

Global soccer stars Lionel Messi from Argentina and Luis Suarez from Uruguay are in the confirmed teams to participate in the friendly match in Tel Aviv on Nov. 18. Both strikers play together on the Barcelona team in Spain’s La Liga professional soccer league.

Over the weekend, protesters demonstrated in front of the Barcelona training camp calling on the stars to cancel the sold-out match in Israel.

One year ago, a BDS campaign led to the cancellation of a match between the national teams of Argentina and Israel scheduled to be played in Jerusalem.

The official Twitter account of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, or PACBI, posted photos of the demonstrators in Barcelona, tweeting that “Reports confirm the players got the message loud and clear at Barcelona training ground.

“Israel uses the prestige of championship teams like Argentina and Uruguay and star players Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez to sports-wash its regime of oppression, apartheid and occupation. We’ve stopped this before. We can stop it again” the BDS movement said in a statement.

Global soccer star Lionel Messi previously visited Israel in 2013 with members of FC Barcelona. He has won the FIFA Ballon D’Or prize for the best soccer player in the world five times and often is considered one of the greatest players of all time.