The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has once again postponed its decision regarding the suspension of Israel from international football, despite Palestine’s calls for sanctions due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. During a meeting held yesterday, the FIFA Council failed to implement any punitive measures against Israel.
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) had submitted a formal request for Israel’s suspension from international football, citing human rights violations and discrimination in Israel’s football league. PFA had anticipated a decision on Israel’s expulsion by October 3rd, following a legal review.
FIFA had initially promised to address the issue during an extraordinary council meeting in July, but subsequently deferred the decision to its August 31st session, and again to October. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has now been tasked with investigating claims of discrimination made by the PFA, including the participation of Israeli football teams based in Palestinian territories.
In its April submission, the PFA called for Israel’s expulsion from FIFA, citing Israel’s failure to take action against human rights abuses since the attacks that began on October 7th, as well as ongoing racial and discriminatory practices in the Israeli football league.
PFA President Jibril Rajoub had previously revealed that Palestinian officials had been threatened by Israeli authorities to withdraw their FIFA request for Israel’s expulsion.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino commented on the situation, stating, “The ongoing violence in the region, as noted at the 74th FIFA Congress, underscores the need for peace. We are deeply shocked by the events, and our thoughts are with those suffering. We call on all parties to restore peace in the region immediately.”
