Lionel Messi in Israel despite rockets and boycott threats

Soccer superstar Lionel Messi finally arrived in sports-crazed Israel on Sunday, after a Palestinian protest campaign derailed his previous visit and latest round of cross-border fighting in Gaza threatened to scare him off once again.

Messi and his Argentine teammates are in Holy Land to play an international friendly against his Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez and Uruguay national team. It’s a game that has been just as erly anticipated for its political ramifications as it has for its sporting star power.

Suarez and his teammates arrived on Saturday after a friendly match in Hungary while Messi touched down Sunday after a direct flight from Saudi Arabia, where Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in ar friendly.

A year ago, Argentina abruptly canceled a World Cup warmup match in Jerusalem, saying it was concerned for safety of its players. decision followed protests in West Bank and or countries amid outr that Messi would play in Israel. Those demonstrations included threats to burn Messi jerseys and brandished ims of Argentina national team’s jersey stained with red paint resembling blood. As a result, FIFA soccer governing body banned Palestinian soccer federation president Jibril Rajoub for a year for “inciting hatred and violence” against Messi.

Monday’s match was nearly nixed as well after last week’s two-day eruption of violence following Israel’s targeted killing of a Palestinian militant commander in Gaza. Islamic Jih militant group responded by firing hundreds of rockets into Israel, setting off warning sirens as far rth as Tel Aviv — site of Monday’s match. fighting killed 34 Palestinians, including 15 civilians.

Both Argentina and Uruguay were reportedly on verge of calling off ir participation.

But y eventually decided to play following intense, high-profile negotiations with Sylvan ams, a Canian-Israeli billionaire who’s responsible for staging match in Israel.

Palestinian BDS group PACBI condemned Monday’s match, accusing Argentina and Uruguay of crossing “Palestinian nviolent picket line, allowing Israel to use beautiful game to sports-wash its crimes against Palestinians.”

ams, who describes himself as a “self-appointed ambassor-at-large” for Israel, told Associated Press that he’s looking to counter country’s im, and has sponsored previous sporting and cultural events in country. Last year, he brought opening sts of Giro d’Italia cycling race to Israel, and this year he paid more than $1 million for Monna to perform at Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv, overcoming pro-Palestinian calls to boycott events.

grassroots BDS movement, vocating for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel, tched one of its greatest achievements to date by helping pressure Messi and Argentina out of last year’s match.

A spooked Argentine squ bolted at last moment, even after direct a plea from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri asked m to reconsider.

Israel’s sports minister Miri Regev was widely criticized for politicizing event by insisting it is played in contested Jerusalem and by trying to orchestrate a photo-op with Messi.

Argentina is among most popular brands in Israel and Messi, a six-time FIFA player of year, is an icon here as well. But disappointment over cancellation led many Israelis to root against him in World Cup and rejoice in Argentina’s early exit.

This week’s match was promoted with far less fanfare, and yet Middle East politics played a role once again with deliest round of violence in Gaza in years.

Match organizers were in constant touch with teams throughout fighting. Even after an informal cease-fire was reached on Thursday, game remained in question. But with Uruguay’s he coach alrey in Tel Aviv, and Israeli soccer players and officials lobbying ir South American colleagues, it was salvd.

For Messi, this will be his second match after returning from a three-month ban imposed by South American soccer body CONMEBOL after he me accusations of corruption following Copa America tournament in Brazil in July.