As the England squad takes a shot a Euro 2008 qualification in Tel Aviv tonight they should remember that Palestinian children have been on the receiving end of shots of a far more lethal variety, Children as young as 11 have been variously machine gunned, shot dead by snipers and killed by Israeli artillery shells as they played harmlessly on makeshift pitches.

(See here:
 http://www.btselem.org/english/Statistics/Casualties_Data.asp?Category=13
for a few hundred murdered children)

Meanwhile, according to reports from human rights organisations around the world, abuse at checkpoints and barriers around Palestinian villages continue, echoing - according to Bishop Desmond Tutu, the repressive pass laws he experienced in his native land.

"I've been very distressed on my visit to the Holy Land, it reminded me so much of what happened to us blacks in South Africa. I have seen the humiliation of the Palestinians at checkpoints and roadblocks, suffering like us when young white police officers prevented us from moving about".

Readers with long memories may remember that Palestine failed to qualify in Euro 2006 when Israeli troops refused to let key players travel to a match against Uzbekistan. Although they allowed striker Ziad Al Kourd permission, he returned to find his house had been demolished by the army in his absence.

South Africa's regime was brought to its knees by international condemnation expressed through sporting boycotts and sanctions. The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign seeks to encourage similar international action against Israel, starting with this and the home match against Israel later this year. Meanwhile the Boycott Israeli Goods campaign ( http://www.bigcampaign.org) encourages shoppers to identify and reject Israeli goods.

"With your support" reads their flyer "we can help Israel realise what most white South Africans do now, that a life built on the advantage of prejudice and force of arms has no future.

"Life, like football, is best played fair".