The world governing body of football, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), will conduct a legal assessment before deciding on Palestine’s request to suspend the Israeli federation due to the war in Gaza.
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) called for a vote to exclude Israel at FIFA’s congress in Bangkok on Friday, a motion that was supported by the Jordanian Football Association.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that the decision would be made by the FIFA Council after a legal assessment is completed.
“How much more must the Palestine football family suffer for Fifa to act with the same severity and urgency as it did in other cases?” PFA president Jibril Rajoub said.
“Does Fifa consider some wars to be more important than others and some victims to be more significant?
“I ask you to stand on the right side of history. The suffering of millions, including thousands of footballers, deserves as much. If not now, then when? Mr President, the ball is in your court.”
The conflict in Gaza began following a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in about 1,200 deaths and over 252 hostages being taken.
Since then, Israel’s offensive in Gaza has led to the deaths of more than 34,000 people, according to the health ministry run by Hamas in the territory.
Shino Moshe Zuares, the president of the Israel Football Association, said: “We are facing a cynical political and hostile attempt by the Palestinian association to harm Israeli football.
“Seven months after the terrible day, when football matches cannot be played in large parts of Israel, north and south, and over 130 Israelis are still being held in Gaza, it is injustice that even in these circumstances we find ourselves fighting for our basic right to be part of the game.”
Infantino said a legal assessment of the allegations made by the PFA would be undertaken urgently, with the Fifa Council convening an extraordinary congress in late July to address the issue.
“Football should not and should never become a hostage for politics and always remain a vector for peace, a source of hope, a force of good, uniting people rather than dividing,” Infantino said.
“This legal assessment will have to allow for inputs and claims of both member associations. The results of this analysis and the recommendations which will follow from this analysis will subsequently be forwarded to the Fifa Council.”