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Lebanese 8-year-old chess player Loren Abdel Samad withdrew from two scheduled matches against ‘Israeli’ opponents during the World Youth Chess Championship for the under-eight age category, held in Batumi, Georgia, from June 14-27, 2026 – according to a report on Lebanese media

The withdrawals resulted in automatic losses and cost her points that could have influenced her final standing in the tournament, the reports said. Family cites personal stance

According to her family speaking to Lebanese media, Abdel Samad chose not to face the ‘Israeli’ players despite knowing the decision would affect her tournament score.

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[-] Hxrmit@thelemmy.club 38 points 2 weeks ago
[-] hitmyspot@aussie.zone 11 points 2 weeks ago

As much as this kid took a principled stand, remember the opponents were children too.

[-] SocialistVibes01@lemmy.ml 24 points 2 weeks ago

The "kids" ate Israeli propaganda since born, they see the Lebanese as inferior animals, culprit of that or not. Education in Israel produces monsters, their textbooks are fucked up.

[-] hitmyspot@aussie.zone 5 points 2 weeks ago

Thant may be the case. But seeing children as evil is exactly how genocide happeneded in Palestine.

[-] SocialistVibes01@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 weeks ago

Certainly Palestine and Lebanon can show the other face. Is that what are you suggesting? Can you give me something to work with instead of indifferent neutrality? Liberals..

[-] hitmyspot@aussie.zone 5 points 2 weeks ago

No. I think the child did the right thing to stand up for their principles and not compete. My issue is with calling the other child evil. They are still a child. They did not commit genocide. Israel did.

[-] SocialistVibes01@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Every settler Israeli is a soldier. The other kid is a soldier in development, waiting for the right age for Military. Wouldn't you react to a child soldier pointing a gun at you? It you think this is too much, it's Isreal that's actually too much. And your indifference is what enables genocides, not the reaction in defense. Liberalism/Social Democracy is the precursor of fascism.

[-] Transparent_knoll@awful.systems 13 points 2 weeks ago

I'm sure they were devastated to automatically advance to the next round.

[-] hitmyspot@aussie.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago

They will also remain blissfully unaware of the comment above. That doesn’t make it acceptable.

[-] Transparent_knoll@awful.systems 4 points 2 weeks ago

Did you interpret the comment as aimed at the children, rather than the state of Israel?

Maybe the original commenter does consider a couple of 8 year olds to be evil, I can't speak on their behalf; but it seems far more likely they're referring to the genocidal state currently killing 8 year olds that they represent, rather than specific individuals playing chess.

[-] hitmyspot@aussie.zone 1 points 2 weeks ago

Look at the other responses and tell me I'm wrong that that's how it's being interpreted. I donagree they are conflating the two. That has been Israels plan, conflate israels across with the identity of Jewishness, and then claim antisemitism when there is any criticism.

Unfortunately, that means people are now conflating the two. In this case, to call children in a chess tournament evil. That's where Israels actions serve to increase antisemitism. Globally.

Did you think they were referring to a Palestinian child from occupied territory? Of course not. The fact they are called israeli serves to suggest their religion and political views, before they even have a formed view.

[-] Transparent_knoll@awful.systems 1 points 2 weeks ago

Those are responses to your comment though. Your comment frames the narrative as 'this is about the children', and as such, the resulting discourse is based around that, my responses included, despite my differing interpretation of the original statement.

When I mention the state they represent, I mean it in the same way an athlete represents their nation. I don't believe said athlete is directly responsible for their countries actions, but I also agree with their expulsion from international events when they represent a state that is actively committing atrocities (like Russia with the Olympics for example). The alternative is sane washing the atrocities commited (IE: Israel participating in Eurovision).

[-] hitmyspot@aussie.zone 1 points 1 week ago

I completely agree re athletes. Not children.

A child cannot differentiate. So the child cannot recognise anything but their opponent and what they have been taught. On both sides.

Which is why their comment only makes sense in terms of calling their opponent evil. And that's not what a child said. That was a, presumably, adult poster.

This is exactly the kind of commentary that leads to genocide. Calling Israeli children soldiers in waiting is no different to the IDF calling Palestinian children terrorists in waiting. It's all a way to other them and justify imhumane actions.

[-] SocialistVibes01@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

You're just a liberal equating "both sides". Like they always do. In real life, the Israeli kid already received an education that dehumanizes Lebanese, Palestinians, Syrians, you name it. While the other kid just wants to live and there's nothing indicating his nurturing was dehumanizing Israelis, except your half-baked and dishonest "both-sidizing" and Hasbara. Noboby is disputing that the Israeli kid didn't have a choice in that matter but that doesn't mean he has to get a pass from being throughout reeducated. Until then, the evil moniker is an oversimplification that alas aptly applies here. Do you want to get off by being 100% fair? STOP THE GENOCIDE.

[-] flandish@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

children currently being abused by their parents, yes. not playing a game where your opponents come from or are raise by genocide supporters is an important stand to take, at any age.

a nine year old can know israel is blowing up his friends, and obviously we can’t expect to treat an israel child like an adult; this is why we recognize the child is being abused by those adults.

[-] nicpicname@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 weeks ago

Good for her

[-] SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago

Short term this might get some PR, but its not a good strategy.

At this age it is ideal to show those Israeli kids that people of other ethnicities and religions are very much like then.

That way, when an adult tells them to be racist, they have a lived experience that contradicts that.

[-] Thesilverpig@lemmy.ml 24 points 2 weeks ago

Hard disagree, 80% of Israelis support expelling all Palestinians and over 60% support the genocide. Pariah state needs to be treated as such and the world needs Israelis to personally suffer consequences for it's genocide. It's not racist it's drawing a line in the sand.

[-] SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I ask you the question then. Why, after 1500 years of wars between French and Germans, are they no longer fighting after WW2? Why is there little to no animosity left after less than 3 generstions?

[-] QinShiHuangsShlong@lemmy.ml 14 points 2 weeks ago

I ask you the question then. Why, after 1500 years of wars between French and Germans, are they no longer fighting after WW2?

Because they both became client states of the US post WW2 and fighting between client states isn't allowed.

[-] SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

You are missing the question, why is their almost no animosity between them after so many centuaries in conflict?

[-] QinShiHuangsShlong@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 weeks ago

Because again they have both been demoted to client state and given a nice stream of outside "enemies" to unite against.

[-] SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

You seem stuck on thinking of them as governments and not nations, it is not the same. Why would the people give up 1500 years of conflict like that?

[-] QinShiHuangsShlong@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 weeks ago

Many reasons like much of the conflict being nonsense spun up by the governments so they could have conflict (I really doubt the people of Brest and Rostok genuinely hated each other for legitimate reasons), and new "better" enemies being bestowed upon them by their new owner mainly Muslims, Russians and Chinese people. Also I wouldn't say the conflict is gone so much as it has been relegated to second place and thus is not pushed and therefore heard much, I'm sure of you asked either group they'd gladly regale you with tides of pejoratives and racism about each other.

[-] SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Yet conflict is nearly impossible between them. They are too economically en culturally intertwined.

Same with Japan and the US, Poland and Germany.

As uncomfortable as it seems for the propaganda and religion riddled middle east, the only solution for peace with Israel is for the region to be politically and culturally integrated.

But both sides have been taking turns with small and large genocides over the last 1500 years. Currently the Israelis are taking their turn with a particularly brutal genocide.

The religious, political and economic elite in the region have been using racism, Zionism and Islam to keep the people weak and focused on the "other", so they don't look too hard at how they are being exploited.

The only way out is economic, political and cultural integration. The two state solution will always result in more conflict and its orchestrated that way by the regional powers.

The solution I suggest is one state, lottery based democracy, secular and socialist. It will be difficult for a generation, but its the only proven model for ending forever wars, and infinitly better than what they currently have.

That is why I think boycotting cultural events is counter productive. It just serves the elites to keep people divided.

[-] QinShiHuangsShlong@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago

Yet conflict is nearly impossible between them. They are too economically en culturally intertwined.

And we're back to the fact that they're client states who aren't allowed have real conflict

Japan and the US

Japan is a US client state obviously not going to bite its masters hand.

Poland and Germany.

Again both us client states.

As uncomfortable as it seems for the propaganda and religion riddled middle east, the only solution for peace with Israel is for the region to be politically and culturally integrated.

Or the genocidal settler colonial ethno state that's been destabilising the region for generations could go the way of Rhodesia and Apartheid South Africa.

That is why I think boycotting cultural events is counter productive. It just serves the elites to keep people divided.

Yes I'm sure you'd also talk down to a Jewish child refusing to partake in a chess match in Nazi Germany in the 30s/40s for dividing the working class.

[-] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Israelis need to learn they are evil should get off Palestinian land. No normalization with colonizers. No need to befriend a third you're going to kick out of your stolen home.

this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2026
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