The International Football Federation (FIFA) will decide “in October” the Palestinian federation’s request to suspend the Israeli federation, particularly because of the war in the Gaza Strip.
“An independent legal assessment has been carried out” on the Palestinian request, presented in May during the 74e The football body’s congress in Bangkok, according to a brief FIFA statement. “The evaluation report”the content of which has not been made public, “will now be forwarded to the FIFA Council for consideration, so that this item can be duly addressed at the next Council meeting, scheduled for October.”adds the organization.
During the congress, FIFA President Gianni Infantino refused to put to the vote the sanctions demanded by the Palestinian federation (PFA) against its Israeli counterpart (IFA), believing that they should “to be managed” by the executive of the organization. Taking into account “the emergency” of the situation, he had however promised “an extraordinary advice” by July 20, but that deadline was pushed back over the summer, leaving the “independent legal experts” mandated by FIFA until the end of August to complete their report.
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In May, PFA president Jibril Rajoub urged FIFA to “Stay on the right side of history” by voting for the immediate suspension of the IFA and referring several of its members to the disciplinary commission.
In a seven-page letter sent in mid-March, the PFA listed the direct consequences of the Israeli bombings in Gaza − “at least 92 footballers killed” and all sports infrastructure destroyed – but also mentioned the absence of a serious fight against “discrimination and racism” anti-Palestinian, racism claimed by some Beitar Jerusalem supporters, as well as publications by Israeli leaders on social networks supporting “Gaza genocide”.
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In response, IFA President Shino Moshe Zuares denounced in Bangkok a “cynical attempt” of “harming Israeli football”resting according to him “on grounds that have nothing to do with sport”.
“This is an extremely complicated political situation. I wouldn’t wish this kind of tragedy on anyone.”he had said, assuring that he wanted “reach out” et “consider friendly matches” when “the atmosphere will have become calmer again”.
The Israeli national team is due to play in the Nations League, a competition of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It will face Belgium on September 6 in Debrecen, Hungary, as no Belgian city has agreed to host the match due to security concerns in the tense Middle East context.
Israel will face Italy three days later in Budapest, a “home” match relocated due to the war between the Hebrew state and Hamas. It is also in the Hungarian capital that it will “receive” the French team, on October 10, for the third day of the League of Nations.
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