Dale Vince has explained Forest Green Rovers’ decision to fly the Palestinian flag at The New Lawn and display messages of support on its digital pitch-side advertising, saying he believes the club cannot remain silent in the face of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Vince, the owner of Forest Green Rovers, also flies the Palestinian flag at Ecotricity’s Stroud headquarters, underlining his public support for the Palestinian people.
The club says its position is rooted in its belief in human rights, international law and the protection of civilians — and stresses that its criticism of the Israeli government and its policies is not directed towards Jewish people or Israeli civilians.
In a statement on the club website, a spokesperson said: “We believe it is important to explain why we speak out in support of the Palestinian people, why we fly the Palestinian national flag, why we call for a Free Palestine and why we criticise the actions and policies of the government of Israel.
“For us, this is fundamentally about human rights, international law and the protection of civilians.
“We believe Palestinians have endured profound suffering over many decades and that the humanitarian situation demands attention and scrutiny.
“We do not believe remaining silent in the face of civilian suffering is the right thing to do.”
The club says its position should not be interpreted as hostility towards Jewish people, Israelis or Judaism.
It said: “Our support for the Palestinian people is not, and never can be, hostility towards Jewish people, Israelis or Judaism.
“We condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and all other forms of discrimination.
“We also condemn terrorism and attacks on civilians.
“We condemn the attacks carried out by Hamas on 7 October 2023 and the taking of hostages.
“At the same time, we believe allegations of unlawful conduct by any government or armed force must be subject to proper scrutiny and, where appropriate, independent investigation.
“Our criticism is directed at the policies and actions of the Israeli government and the conduct of the Israeli military. It is not directed at Jewish people or Israeli civilians because of their identity.
“The Palestinian people are not Hamas.
“The Palestinian national flag is not the flag of Hamas.
“Supporting the rights of Palestinians does not mean supporting Hamas.”
FGR says it supports the Palestinian people’s right to freedom, dignity, security and self-determination.
The club also says it supports a negotiated two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians can live alongside one another in peace and security.
It said: “Concern for Israeli civilians cannot mean ignoring the suffering or rights of Palestinian civilians.
“Equally, support for Palestinian rights cannot mean ignoring the suffering of Israeli civilians.
“We believe both peoples deserve safety, dignity and security.”
The club says its call for a Free Palestine is a call for freedom, equality, human rights and self-determination.
It said: “Palestinians have lived for decades amid occupation, conflict, displacement and restrictions on their rights.
“The war in Gaza has resulted in enormous civilian suffering, including widespread displacement, destruction of homes and essential infrastructure, severe shortages of food and medical supplies, and large numbers of deaths and injuries.
“International organisations and human-rights groups have raised serious concerns about the conduct of the conflict and the treatment of Palestinian civilians.
“There have also been serious allegations concerning possible breaches of international humanitarian law.”
The club also acknowledges the ongoing international legal proceedings and stresses the distinction between allegations and established findings.
It said: “The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in connection with allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Those allegations have not been finally determined by a criminal court, and Israel strongly rejects them.
“The International Court of Justice has also issued provisional measures in proceedings brought by South Africa under the Genocide Convention. We recognise that these proceedings concern serious allegations which remain contested, and we do not present a provisional measure as a final finding that genocide has occurred.”
The club added: “Some human-rights organisations have used terms including ‘apartheid’ and ‘ethnic cleansing’ when describing aspects of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. These are serious allegations and terms which carry specific meanings in international law and human-rights discourse.
“We believe these issues deserve serious scrutiny and that the suffering of civilians should not be ignored.”
FGR says its position is ultimately about the equal value of human life.
It said: “We believe Palestinian lives have the same value as Israeli lives.
“We believe Jewish people should be able to live free from antisemitism and fear.
“We believe Palestinians should be able to live free from occupation, discrimination and fear.
“We believe Israeli civilians should be protected from terrorism and attacks.
“We believe Palestinian civilians should be protected from unlawful violence and suffering.
“And we believe international law and human rights should apply to everyone.
“Calling for a Free Palestine is, in our view, a call for freedom, equality, dignity, security and self-determination — not a call for hostility towards Jewish people or Israelis.”
