Elham Asaad Buaras
FIFA has once again postponed its review of a Palestinian request to suspend Israel from international football due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. On August 31, the world’s governing body of football announced that it would now address the Palestine Football Association’s (PFA) proposal against the Israel FA (IFA) in the coming month.
The PFA initially submitted the suspension request in May, prompting FIFA to call for an urgent legal assessment and pledge to discuss the matter at an extraordinary council meeting in July. FIFA said last month the legal assessment would now be shared with its council by August 31.
The Zurich-based body said it had now moved the assessment back to October. “FIFA has received the independent legal assessment of the Palestine Football Association’s proposals against Israel,” FIFA said.
“This assessment will be sent to the FIFA Council to review in order that the subject can be discussed at its next meeting which will take place in October.”
FIFA did not provide additional information about the assessment or specify the date in October when the meeting would occur.
The Palestinian proposal accuses the IFA of being complicit in violations of international law committed by the Israeli government, discriminating against Arab players, and including clubs in its league that are located on Palestinian land. The IFA has denied these accusations.
According to the Palestinian FA, at least 92 Palestinian players have been killed in the conflict, football infrastructure has been destroyed, leagues have been suspended, and the national team has been forced to play World Cup qualifiers abroad.
The PFA proposed that FIFA impose “appropriate sanctions” on Israeli teams, including both the national team and club teams.
Since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, at least 40,691 people have been killed and 94,060 wounded. Additionally, an estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the attacks led by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7.
(Photo credit: Ihsaan Haffejee/AA)
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