Calls for FIFA to suspend Israel grow as vote nears

Pro-Palestinian activists are calling on football fans to put pressure on FIFA to expel Israel from world football’s governing body in an upcoming vote on the issue on Saturday.

Fans are urged to send emails to FIFA Council members requesting that Israeli teams be suspended in time for FIFA’s extraordinary Council meeting at which officials will discuss the Palestinian proposal to ban Israel from international football due to the brutal Gaza war.

Among the organizations calling for Israel to be suspended is the online movement Red Card Israel, which is asking fans to contact the FIFA Council on the matter.

The group, which describes itself as a South African grassroots movement, has set up a petition for supporters to sign, which states: “The sanctions against Israeli teams are a real opportunity to isolate Israel internationally for its acts of genocide, including the murder of civilians and football players, and could contribute to establishing peace in Palestine.”

The group drew parallels to the sanctions imposed on South African teams during apartheid, saying the sanctions “helped” end the ideology that enforced segregation and discrimination between white South Africans and other ethnic groups in the country.

The petition said Israel’s suspension was “an opportunity to show solidarity with the Palestinians, including their own colleagues at the Palestinian Football Association.”

The calls for Israel’s expulsion come against a backdrop of Israel continuing its war against Gaza, in which at least 38,794 Palestinians have been killed since October 7.

As part of its brutal offensive, Israel has been relentlessly bombing residential buildings, schools and hospitals for over nine months.

Among those killed are at least 265 Palestinian athletes, including 55 footballers. Stadiums and sports facilities were razed to the ground by the Israeli attacks.

In April, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) proposed sanctions and suspensions against the Israel Football Association, citing violations of human rights and international humanitarian law as Israel continues to subject Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to daily death and destruction.

The PFA’s proposal is supported by the Jordan Football Association (JFA).

In May, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the governing body would need to seek independent legal advice before voting. Infantino said the legal assessment would need to take into account the input and demands of both the Palestinian and Israeli football associations.

Meanwhile, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan earlier this week reiterated his call for Israel to be expelled from FIFA because of the war in Gaza.

The prince, who is half-brother of King Abdullah and president of the Jordanian Football Association, said on Monday: “Continuing the status quo without taking decisive steps reinforces double standards and reflects an unfair image of the sporting world.”

Calls for a suspension of Israeli teams are not limited to football. Petitions and pro-Palestinian activists are calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ban Israeli athletes from participating in the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, scheduled to take place in July.

Many have pointed out the double standards that exist with Russian and Belarusian athletes being banned from sport or forced to compete in neutral competitions due to Moscow’s invasion and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

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