The Union of European Football Associations is the governing body of football (soccer) associations in Europe, which refused to authorize a moment of silence for the victims of terrorism in Israel.

So the soccer teams of Israel and Poland decided to hold one anyway–refusing to play during the first minute of their match.

UEFA refused to organize a minute of silence before the start of the match between #Israel and Poland (under-21 team). In response, the two teams decided not to play the first minute of the match and observe a minute of silence in homage to the victims of #7October pic.twitter.com/wcwojTDBUy

— Michael Weingardt (@Michael_Wgd) November 17, 2023

Poland rocks! Eastern European countries as a group rock, but this was above and beyond what one could expect, given that they were defying the powers that be who control their fate.

UEFA’s refusal to hold a moment of silence for victims of the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, forced players into creating their own show of respect in an Under 21 match on Friday.

Poland’s youth side hosted Israel in Lodz and both teams decided to observe a minute of remembrance as soon as the whistle was blown to signal the start of the game.

The moment of reflection related to attacks in Israel by the Hamas terrorist group when they broke Gaza’s militarised border to kill about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and take about 240 hostage, according to Israeli officials.

Wow. I mean, WOW! In many ways, this demonstration of moral strength far exceeds the impact of an authorized moment of silence, which often seems pro-forma. To have players–and in this case, young players who have the most to risk–take a stand against the more cynical and politically calculating executives makes a powerful point against the moral equivalence crowd and the executives who are too jaded and selfish to stand up for what is right.

Both sets of players stood in silence once the referee got the game underway and no action took place for the first minute of the match while all inside the ground observed the moment of respect.

Players remained in their formational positions rather than come together as is usual with pre-match tributes and there was silence around the ground as well.

Match officials were also seen waiting patiently alongside the players who remained virtually motionless for the entirety of the minute silence.

UEFA and other football governing bodies have had to balance political decision making with sport in recent weeks as the war in the Middle East continues to worsen.

The European footballing body reportedly refused to give permission for a minute silence to be held pre-match and that decision sparked the unusual showing.

I am about as bored by soccer as a person could be. Like many Americans, I make fun of it, mostly out of ignorance I admit. But let’s face it, there is no comparison in excitement compared to American (real) football.

Can you tell I am prejudiced?

Generally, I am not a fan of players taking political stands, so I admit that I am being more than a little hypocritical in this case. On the other hand, the players were rebuking the institution for not doing what they would in most other cases when outrages or tragedies happen.

To add insult to the UEFA, Israel’s senior captain brought the shoe of a kidnapped Israeli boy to the pre-game press conference, emphasizing that the terrorism of Hamas continues for the hostages they took. It was left behind when he was taken. As I have written, the fact that so many people ignore the hostages or insult them by tearing down the posters highlighting their suffering is one of the most infuriating continuing outrages of this conflict.

Football is the quintessential European (even world) sport. Millions of people saw this, and its sober and peaceful nature is a dramatic and powerful contrast to the violence that often accompanies pro-Palestinian protests.

Which is why I had a tear in my eye when I watched it.