Eric Cantona gave an impassioned speech at Together For Palestine last night (Wednesday September 17). Read it below.
Taking place at the OVO Arena Wembley, the night saw huge performances from Damon Albarn, Paul Weller, Rachel Chinouriri, Yasiin Bey, and more, and had presenters including Cantona, PinkPantheress, Richard Gere, Benedict Cumberbatch, Florence Pugh, and Nicola Coughlan.
The event, which was also available as a livestream, raised just under £1.5million for the ‘Together For Palestine Fund’, which will be distributed to Palestinian-led organisations such as Taawon, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and Palestine Medical Relief Service.
The concert came just a day after a UN commission inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.
Cantona used his moment on stage to call for a sporting boycott of Israel in football. It came after he was introduced to the stage by Palestinian footballer Mahmoud Sarsak, who went on hunger strike for three months after being imprisoned by Israel in 2012 without trial.
The French footballing legend then told the crowd: “I have played for France and Manchester United. I know that international football is more than just sport.
“It’s culture, it’s political, it’s soft power, in the way that a country represents itself on the global stage,” he continued. “The time has come to suspend Israel from that privilege. Four days after Russia started a war in Ukraine, FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia.
“We are now 716 days into what Amnesty International have called a genocide, yet Israel have continued to be allowed to participate. Why is there double standards? FIFA and UEFA must suspend Israel. Clubs everywhere must refuse to play Israeli teams. Current players everywhere must refuse to play against Israeli teams,” he said.
Cantona continued: “We all remember apartheid in South Africa. The sporting boycott was critical in ending it. We have power. You have power. And football fans around the world have power.”
Cantona has been a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights and a ceasefire in Gaza. On October 17 2023, he wrote an Instagram post that said: “Defending the human rights of Palestinians does not mean you are pro-Hamas. Saying ‘Free Palestine’ does not mean you are anti-Semitic or ‘want all the Jews gone.’
“‘Free Palestine’ means free Palestinians from the Israeli occupation that’s been robbing [of] their basic human rights for 75 years.”
In August, Cantona spoke on the death of footballer Suleiman Obeid, who was dubbed the ‘Palestinian Pelé’. Obeid was killed in Gaza during an August Israeli attack on people waiting for humanitarian aid. Obeid was also remembered at the event in Wembley last night.
Elsewhere at the gig, Brian Eno, Paul Weller, Damon Albarn and Nadine Shah led an all-star performance of a specially composed piece of music for the event, before Eno read the Khaled Juma poem Oh Rascal Children of Gaza.
Albarn later returned to perform with the London Arab Orchestra, Yasiin Bey, and the Juzour Dance Collective, playing a medley of Palestinian traditional songs that sparked one of the biggest responses of the night.
Eno spoke to NME backstage about the importance of music and culture in shaping politics, saying: “I think the state of mind that culture creates in people encourages or provides a frame in which people can operate and in which politicians can operate, but I don’t know if that’s true – it’s an act of faith.”
Annie Lennox has shared a reimagined version of her song ‘Why?’, which she recorded to benefit ‘Together For Palestine’, and ahead of last night’s show, Billie Eilish, Finneas, Joaquin Phoenix, Cillian Murphy, Steve Coogan and more featured in a new message for Together For Palestine.
“It’s important to speak out now, not when this is over. Right now, while it’s happening,” the latter is heard saying in the clip. “Pressurise your government, lend your support to those who are peacefully campaigning, call for a ceasefire, stop the killing.”
Check out all of what went down at the Together For Palestine concert here, and visit here to donate to the Together For Palestine fund.
Another charity event for Palestine will take place next month curated by Paul Weller and aiming to raise money for people in Gaza. Dubbed ‘Gig For Gaza’, the show takes place at London’s Troxy on Friday October 17, and will see Primal Scream, Inhaler and Maverick Sabre performing alongside the former Jam frontman.