FIFA puts off Palestinian push to suspend 'Israel' from world soccer
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For over ten years, the Palestinian soccer federation has urged FIFA to take action against the Israeli soccer body for including teams from West Bank settlements in its leagues.
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The FIFA logo is seen at a press event in Istanbul, Turkey on August 15, 2022. (AFP)
FIFA refrained from suspending the Israeli soccer federation but called for a disciplinary inquiry into allegations of discrimination raised by Palestinian soccer officials.
A senior FIFA panel will also investigate the participation of Israeli football teams, reportedly based in occupied Palestinian territories, in Israeli competitions.
For over ten years, the Palestinian soccer federation has urged FIFA to take action against the Israeli soccer body for including teams from West Bank settlements in its leagues.
The Palestinians have recently accused the Israel Football Association (IFA) of complicity in violations of international law by the Israeli government, as well as discrimination against Arab players.
These decisions by FIFA came more than four months after Palestinian officials called for "Israel's" suspension from FIFA during a meeting in May. Their request, made at the FIFA Congress, highlighted violations of international law in Gaza during the ongoing Israeli war and reminded FIFA of its obligations regarding human rights and anti-discrimination policies.
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has reported that dozens of Palestinian players have been killed in the war, football infrastructure has been destroyed, domestic leagues have been suspended, and the national team has had to play World Cup qualifiers abroad. Meanwhile, "Israel" continues to play international fixtures abroad.
The compromise decisions were made over four months after Palestinian officials called for FIFA to suspend "Israel's" membership during a meeting in May.
In their request to FIFA's congress, Palestinian representatives highlighted "international law violations" in Gaza amid the Israeli war on Gaza and urged the soccer governing body to adhere to its commitments regarding human rights and discrimination.
“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,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
The recent developments align with a trend established under both Infantino and his predecessor, Sepp Blatter, where Palestinian requests for FIFA to adhere to its legal statutes have been redirected to temporary panels and other committees.
On Thursday, FIFA did not provide a timeline for the investigations it has yet to initiate.
