FIFA did not take any immediate decision regarding the Palestinian Federation’s request to suspend its Israeli counterpart, according to a press release.
Also according to a FIFA statement, the International Federation will launch two investigations that will allow it to make its decision. The first investigation will focus on the accusations of “discrimination” made by the Palestinian Federation, and the second on “the inclusion of teams in an Israeli competition allegedly based in the occupied Palestinian territories.” Israel“.
The head of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, told Agence France-Presse: “I believe that this issue is in its legal status according to FIFA regulations, and what concerns us is that referring the issue for investigation was unanimously approved by the FIFA Council, as it was referred to the relevant federation committees, and we will pursue our just case.” We will not back down from our rights.”
The Swiss FIFA president refused Gianni Infantino At the 74th Congress of the International Federation, held last May, the request submitted by the Palestinian Federation to impose sanctions against its Israeli counterpart was put to a vote, based on the continuation of the war in the Gaza Strip for nearly a year.
At that time, Infantino believed that any sanctions “must be issued by the Executive Council of the International Federation.”
The Council ultimately relied on the results of the independent legal evaluation report, which assigned the Disciplinary Committee to investigate charges of discrimination against the Palestinian Federation, while the FIFA Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee “will be entrusted with the task of investigating and advising the FIFA Council regarding the participation of Israeli teams allegedly based in the Palestinian territories in Israeli competitions.
Infantino explained in a statement: “The Council showed FIFA “We did our due diligence on this very sensitive issue, and based on a comprehensive assessment we followed the advice of independent experts.”
He added: “The violence currently raging in the region confirms that we need peace above all else, as was pointed out during the seventy-fourth Congress of FIFA.”
Infantino continued: “While we are still deeply shocked by what is happening and our hearts are with those who are suffering, we urge all parties to restore peace in the region immediately.”
