By Andrew Warshaw
November 27 – The Asian Football Confederation has put its full force behind Palestine’s efforts to achieve free movement of players, officials and equipment.
A Task Force recently set up by FIFA President Sepp Blatter involving a number of stakeholders – including the respective Palestinian and Israeli federations as well as FIFA and UEFA – is working towards resolving an issue that has continues to thwart progress in the Middle East.
Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, the AFC’s executive committee members endorsed the mission to develop and promote the game in Palestine but PFA President General Jibril Al Rajoub (pictured) said that that despite the formation of the task force, restrictions imposed by Israel were still biting.
Palestine accuses Israel’s security forces, who control movement between the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, of frequently preventing its athletes travelling freely between the two separated territories as well as stopping those from visiting countries from entering the West Bank.
Rajoub raised the issue at the FIFA Congress in Mauritius in May when he warned that if the matter was not resolved satisfactorily, he would call on delegates at next year’s Congress to expel Israel. Israel counters that it is has no choice but to enforce security because the Gaza Strip, from where rockets and mortar bombs are regularly fired, is ruled by the Islamist Hamas faction which calls for Israel’s destruction.
Rajoub told AFC exco members that entry permits were still being denied to officials and urged them to defend the rights of member associations to function without outside interference.
AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said the “entire Asian family” stood behind Palestine, a full FIFA member, and supported its right to host international friendly competitions.
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