FIFA has postponed a decision on whether to suspend Israel from global football until July, with its president, Gianni Infantino, saying world football’s governing body needed to consult external legal opinion first.
FIFA has postponed its decision on whether to suspend Israel from global football until July, as President Gianni Infantino announced the need to seek “external legal advice” first.
The announcement followed a plea from Palestinian Football Association (PFA) President Jibril Rajoub during FIFA’s annual congress in Bangkok on Friday.
In his speech, Rajoub called on FIFA to “stand on the right side of history,” presenting statistics on the impact of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. He referenced previous FIFA suspensions of Russia, Apartheid-era South Africa, and Yugoslavia, questioning, “Does FIFA consider some wars to be more important than others and some victims to be more significant?”
Rajoub highlighted the deaths of over 250 Palestinian athletes, mainly football players, and the destruction of several football stadiums.
The facilities in Gaza include the iconic Yarmouk Stadium, one of the oldest in Palestine.
In December, the occupation forces turned the stadium into a detention centre where dozens of Palestinians were rounded up and humiliated.
He went on to reiterate his longstanding objection to the inclusion of six teams from Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory in the Israeli football leagues, maintaining it breaches FIFA regulations.
Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza entered its eighth month, killing more than 35,000 people in the besieged enclave.
The Asian Football Confederation fully backed Rajoub at its congress on Thursday, and his speech was complemented by a persuasive addresses from the Jordanian federation and another PFA official.
Infantino announced that an extraordinary FIFA Council meeting would be held before July 20 to address the matter, ensuring it does not wait until the next scheduled session in October.
The meeting will occur between the Euros and Copa America before the start of the Paris Olympics, where Israel is competing in the men’s football competition.
Infantino noted that the legal assessment would consider inputs and claims from both member associations, and its recommendations would be shared with the council members ahead of their meeting.
Israel, which left the Asian Football Confederation in 1974 and joined UEFA in 1992, had its status questioned at UEFA’s congress in February. However, the UEFA congress quickly dismissed any intention to ban it.
