Thu | Nov 28, 2024

FIFA to seek legal advice on Palestinian call to suspend Israel

Published:Saturday | May 18, 2024 | 12:07 AM
FIFA President Gianni Infantino (left) gives the certificate to President of the Football Associated of Brazil Ednaldo Rodrigues after announcing that Brazil was chosen to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand yesterda
AP
FIFA President Gianni Infantino (left) gives the certificate to President of the Football Associated of Brazil Ednaldo Rodrigues after announcing that Brazil was chosen to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday.

BANGKOK (AP):

Facing a Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel from international football because of the conflict with Hamas, FIFA bought time yesterday by agreeing to seek legal advice before holding an extraordinary council meeting within two months.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino outlined the plan to 211 member federations after leaders of the Palestinian and Israel football bodies spoke at the governing body’s annual congress in Bangkok.

“Now, due to the obvious sensitivity of these matters, FIFA will mandate, as of now, independent legal expertise to analyse and assess the three requests made by the Palestinian Football Association, and ensure that the statutes and regulations of FIFA are applied in the correct way, in order to ensure a fair and due process,” Infantino said.

“This legal assessment will have to allow for inputs and claims of both member associations. The results and the recommendations ... will be forwarded to the FIFA council.

“Due to the urgency of the situation, an extraordinary FIFA Council will be convened and will take place before July 20 to review the results of the legal assessment and to take the decisions that are appropriate.”

The Palestinian football federation has now spoken at a FIFA Congress at least five times since 2014, without making the progress it wants.

Palestinian football issues with Israel in that decade have included travel restrictions on its players, the Israeli league including teams from West Bank settlements, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In the past 10 years, FIFA under two different presidents has deferred a vote or decision, or created a working group to report back at a later meeting.

The Palestinian Football Association proposal to 211 member federations called for “appropriate sanctions, with immediate effect, against Israeli teams” and was forecast in FIFA documents released last month.

The motion noted “international law violations committed by the Israeli occupation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza”, and cited FIFA statutory commitments on human rights and against discrimination.

The Palestinian FA wrote that “all the football infrastructure in Gaza has been either destroyed, or seriously damaged, including the historic stadium of Al-Yarmuk. Yesterday at the congress, Palestinian football leader Jibril Rajoub said “the Palestinian people, including the Palestinian football family, are enduring an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe”.

He said 193 footballers were among the thousands of Palestinians to die in the ongoing war which erupted October 7 with Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel.

Rajoub, who said he had been threatened because of his sanctions proposal, urged FIFA delegates not to delay the vote.

“The Israeli minister of foreign affairs has made serious threats to imprison me if I do not withdraw this proposal, but no power in the world can stand in the way of truth,” Rajoub said.

But Infantino said the matter couldn’t go to a full vote of the membership yesterday, because it had to be dealt with by FIFA’s governing council.