FIFA postpones vote on Palestinian call to expel Israel

FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, on Friday postponed a decision to temporarily suspend Israel over its actions during the conflict in Gaza and the West Bank, saying it needed to seek legal advice before pursuing a request submitted by the Palestinian soccer association .

The motion calling for Israel’s suspension cited “violations of international law by the Israeli occupying power in Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip” and cited violations of FIFA’s human rights and discrimination statutes.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino responded to Palestinian Football Association chief Jibril Rajoub’s emotional speeches at FIFA’s annual congress, saying the urgency of the situation meant he would convene an extraordinary meeting of FIFA’s top executive board on July 25.

Before that meeting, he said, FIFA will ask experts to analyze whether Israel’s actions violate the governing body’s rules. In contrast, FIFA acted quickly in 2022, banning Russian teams and clubs from competitions after the country’s armed forces launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

Mr. Rajoub has pursued sanctions against Israel and its teams for years for a variety of reasons, including the freedom of movement of Palestinian players and allowing teams based in areas controlled by the Palestinian Football Association to play in Israel’s domestic leagues. Since Israeli forces entered Gaza last October in retaliation for Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, all soccer infrastructure in the area, including a historic stadium, has been destroyed, Rajoub said.

Israel’s football chief Moshe Zuares described the Palestinian request as “cynical”. But even the possibility of a temporary ban on its teams could have immediate consequences: Israel will take part in the men’s tournament at the Paris Olympics around the time of FIFA’s meeting in July and will begin qualifying for the 2026 men’s World Cup later this year.

Both Israeli and Palestinian officials had used the preparations for Friday’s congress to lobby officials from other national associations. A day earlier, at a meeting of the Asian Football Association, members were shown a video showing the impact of the war in Gaza, and then a decision was unanimously adopted in support of the Palestinian association’s motion.

Palestinian officials addressed FIFA’s 211 members twice during Friday’s meeting, followed by an official from Jordan demanding action from FIFA.

Although Mr. Infantino acknowledged the urgency of the matter, he declined to call a vote. Instead, he said, the organization’s 37-member board will decide what to do in two months.

“FIFA will immediately commission an independent legal opinion to assess the three applications from the Palestinian Football Association and ensure that FIFA’s status and regulations are correctly applied,” he said.