May 8 – In a letter to the European Parliament, three Palestinian clubs from the West Bank have called for the ban of Israel “from all sports until it ceases the occupation of Palestine.”
Arguing that Israel must comply with international humanitarian and human rights law to have legitimate standing in the European sports space, the letter states that “Israel must be banned from all sports until it ceases the occupation of Palestine, withdraws from illegal settlements, stops implementing apartheid regime, stops killings of civilians, stops starving of population in Gaza, and stops implementing ethnic cleansing policy.”
Al-ShyookhFC, Al-IstiklalFC and Al-DohaFC from the West Bank signed the letter which highlights Israeli settlement clubs who operate in the West Bank, which constitutes, argues the letter, a violation of article 72 of the FIFA Statutes, and participate in the Israeli league.
Irish Sport for Palestine, Jews for Palestine – Ireland, Sport Scholars for Justice in Palestine, Scottish Sport for Palestine, Red Card Israel, A City United 4 Gaza, Academics for Palestine were among the other organisations signing the letter.
Earlier this year, the Palestinian FA (PFA) wrote to world governing body FIFA demanding the war on Gaza and potential consequences tied to the conflict for the Israeli FA (IFA) should be an agenda point at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok, which will be staged next week.
With regard to the war in Gaza, the PFA alleged multiple breaches of FIFA Statutes by IFA and racism by Israeli clubs. The PFA asked FIFA to apply their statutes to sanction Israel. FIFA has remained mute on the subject.
Earlier this month, the Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz threatened PFA president Jibril Rajoub with imprisonment.
In a letter to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, the IFA distanced itself from Katz, calling his social media post “unnecessary, unacceptable and flamboyant.”
Congratulating Infantino on his “significant contribution in the creation of the historical Abraham accords,” IFA chairman Moshe Zuares called on the FIFA president to sabotage the PFA’s motion to have the issues discussed in open forum: “I am deeply convinced, with all my heart, that the Palestinian attempt to lead to sanctions against Israeli football is political in essence and I have no doubt that FIFA will know how to thwart it as it has done many times in the past under your leadership, Mr President.”
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