FIFA seeks legal advice on Palestinian move to ban Israel from football competitions

The Palestinian Football Association hopes to persuade FIFA to ban Israel from international football competitions.

The new Associated Press report explains that FIFA is seeking legal advice from outside experts before convening a council meeting no later than July 20. The Palestinian group, apparently angered by Israel’s response to a terrorist attack by the Palestinian government, was allowed to present its case to all of FIFA’s 211 member associations.

Israel was also given an opportunity to respond to the Palestinian proposal and both sides will be considered after receiving input from external legal experts.

“FIFA will immediately commission independent legal experts to analyze the three applications (from the Palestinian Football Association) and ensure that FIFA’s statutes are properly applied,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“This legal assessment must take into account submissions and claims from both member associations. The findings and recommendations… will be forwarded to the FIFA Council.”

After these recommendations have been made, the organization will convene an “extraordinary” meeting to make its decision.

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

Israel’s players sing the national anthem with their fans after the UEFA Euro 2024 Group I qualifying match between Israel and Romania in Felcsut on November 18, 2023. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP) (Photo by ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP via Getty Images)

The Palestinian Football Association is apparently not concerned about Hamas’ actions

According to AP, the proposal calls on FIFA to impose “appropriate sanctions against Israeli teams with immediate effect.” They justify the request by saying that, in their opinion, these are “violations of international law by the Israeli occupation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza.”

Funnily enough, the Palestinian Football Association cited FIFA’s legal provisions on human rights and discrimination. There was no explanation for what the Palestinian Football Association thought about Hamas’ human rights violations as it brutally murdered well over 1,200 Israeli citizens, tortured others and committed sexual crimes against women. All because of the crime of being Jewish and living near Hamas-controlled territory.

According to the head of the Palestinian Football Association, football infrastructure in Gaza has been either “destroyed or severely damaged.” They also said their proposal was supported by Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Yemen. Ask why?

Jibril Rajoub, the head of the Palestinian Football Association, said at the FIFA Congress that “the Palestinian people, including the Palestinian football family, are suffering an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.”

However, according to a Kuwaiti newspaper, Rajoub praised Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attacks, saying they were “related to the defensive war that our people are waging.” He also said Hamas was part of the “political and social fabric and our struggle” and said it was “important” that it was involved.

It is startling to learn that the head of the Palestinian Football Association is a hypocrite who supports terrorism and only cares about “humanitarian disasters” when they do not involve Hamas’s slaughter of Israeli civilians.

It is a black mark on FIFA’s record that it takes the terrorist sympathizers’ proposal seriously. But since when has FIFA’s reputation been very good?