The FIFA Council will decide by July 20 whether or not to accept the Israeli Palestine Federation's request for suspension, a request already made for the first time in April.
The Palestinian Football Federation argues that the Israeli national team and clubs should be penalized because the country violated international law by occupying Palestinian territories and allowing Israeli teams located in occupied areas to compete in the Israeli national league . It also claims that by allowing racism and discrimination in areas under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Football Federation and being complicit in military offensives in Gaza, the Israel Football Federation violated FIFA's statutes. The Asian Football Confederation has backed Palestine's call for sanctions against Israel.
On the occasion of the Bangkok congress, the Palestinian Football Federation returned to the charge, asking – with the support of Jordan – to exclude Israel from the assembly. “Football must not and must never become hostage to politics and always remains a vector of peace, a source of hope, a positive force that unites people instead of dividing them,” responded the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, who asked the question. in the hands of the Council announcing that independent legal experts will be mandated “to analyze and evaluate the requests and ensure that the FIFA statutes and regulations are correctly applied in order to guarantee a fair and appropriate process”.
The result of the legal assessment will then be submitted to the FIFA Council at an extraordinary meeting to be held by July 20 “to take appropriate decisions.”
