FIFA’s Ban on Israel : Examining the Impact and Implications of the Suspension

6 months after the clash, FIFA decided to take action against Israel after the President of Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, requested the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, to declare a suspension on Israel after the missiles dropped in Gaza and a tragedy against the Innocent Palestinian Civilians. 

This happened after an emotional speech by Mr. Rajoub talking about the unfairness Palestinians have faced for the past few years on Friday at FIFA’s Annual Congress in Bangkok, Thailand. Mr. Rajoub called on FIFA “To stand on the right side of History… If not now, when ?”.  

It is also a huge decision for FIFA to make, after the military operations of Hamas in Israel. President Infantino said that “Independent legal expertise to analyse the three requests from the Palestinian Football Association and ensure the statutes of FIFA are applied in the right way”, with an extraordinary council meeting scheduled to be held by July 25”. 

After postponing the decision till July 25^th. Israel had called the ban “Cynical”. The PFA claimed that “All the Football infrastructures in Gaza have been fully destroyed or seriously damaged. Including the stadium of Al-Yarmouk”. It also said that it had motion support from Football federations like Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Yemen. Mr. Rajoub said that “The Palestinian people, including the Palestinian football family, are enduring an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe”. 

Mr. Rajoub also stated that “The minister of the foreign affairs of Israel, Israel Katz, has made serious threats on me to imprison me if I do not withdraw this request, but no power in the world can stand in the way of truth,” he said. His enemy side, Shino Moshe Zuares, chairman of the Israel Football Association, said that no rules were broken by IFA, and that this proposal is not related to Football.  

 His excellency Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Ak Khalifa, President of the Asian football Association, has given his support to Palestine’s motion ahead of the congress.