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≡ ISRAEL ≡
Meeting in Zurich on Thursday, which also happens to be the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah – the beginning of the new year – the FIFA Council did not act on yet another demand by the member federation of Palestine to ban Israeli national teams and clubs.
“In relation to the proposal submitted by the Palestine Football Association regarding the Israel Football Association at the 74th FIFA Congress, the FIFA Council adopted the following recommendations and conclusions reached in the independent legal analysis mandated by FIFA:
“● The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will be mandated to initiate an investigation into the alleged offence of discrimination raised by the Palestine Football Association.
“● The FIFA Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee will be entrusted with the mission to investigate – and subsequently advise the FIFA Council on – the participation in Israeli competitions of Israeli football teams allegedly based in the territory of Palestine.”
No timetable was set for the committee work. FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) said:
“The FIFA Council has implemented due diligence on this very sensitive matter and, based on a thorough assessment, we have followed the advice of the independent experts.
“The ongoing violence in the region confirms that, above all considerations, and as stated at the 74th FIFA Congress, we need peace. As we remain extremely shocked by what is happening, and our thoughts are with those who are suffering, we urge all parties to restore peace to the region with immediate effect.”
The Palestine federation has asked for years to have Israel suspended, so far without success. Last May, the current motion to ban Israel was, according to The Associated Press, at least the fifth such request since 2014. Infantino asked for a study with a meeting to be held on 20 July, which was postponed until Thursday.
The Hamas invasion of 7 October 2023, the hostage-taking and the expanding war against Israel by Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and now missile attacks from Iran, makes FIFA’s position immensely delicate, especially in view of the forthcoming award of the 2034 FIFA World Cup to Saudi Arabia.
At the May FIFA Congress, Israel Football Association President Shino Moshe Zuares told the delegates:
“Today, maybe more than ever, I believe that football must be a key element in healing the fractures and wounds, helping us and everyone to recover. Yet once again, we are facing a cynical, political and hostile attempt by the Palestinian Association to harm Israeli football.
“Make no mistake, the IFA never violated rules set by FIFA and UEFA and will never do so in the future.
“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.”
Israel played in the men’s Olympic tournament in Paris, but did not advance out of Group D.
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