March 29 – A group of Swiss parliamentarians has written to FIFA urging it to resolve football’s Middle East impasse by banning the six Israeli clubs playing in the occupied territories.
In the latest salvo against Israel’s policy in the build-up to the FIFA Congress in Bahrain in May, the Swiss Federal Parliament members liken Israel’s conduct to that of Russia’s intervention in Crimea and say they are “deeply concerned” about the issue.
“Many UN resolutions and international law (including the Geneva Conventions) make clear that settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, are not part of Israel and are therefore illegal,” says the letter.
“The six football clubs … do not respect the statutes or values of FIFA. These prohibit member associations from playing on the territory of other member associations, without the express authorization of FIFA and the latter (in this case the Palestinian Football Federation).”
The letter goes on to declare that by tolerating the participation of the clubs in the occupied territories, FIFA “violates its own statutes and allows political interests to take over the right and the values of the sport.”
“In the case of the Crimea, FIFA has clearly taken a stand: it has banned local football clubs from participating in the Russian football championship after the 2014 Russian annexation. We ask you to apply the same rules for Football based in the Israeli settlements.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1713877194labto1713877194ofdlr1713877194owedi1713877194sni@w1713877194ahsra1713877194w.wer1713877194dna1713877194