By Andrew Warshaw
May 29 – Insideworldfootball has learned that a last-ditch compromise may have been reached to prevent Palestine’s highly contentious proposal to suspend Israel from world football from being put to the vote at today’s FIFA congress in Zurich. Israel are believed to have proposed a last minute multi-point plan.
Palestine Football Association chief Jibril Rajoub was locked in conversation with UEFA boss Michel Platini during the lunchbreak on FIFA presidential election day amid growing speculation that some kind of deal may have been agreed after weeks of shuttle diplomacy by FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Israel is a member of UEFA while Palestine belongs to Asia.
Before attention dramatically switched to the corruption cases of the last 72 hours, the PFA’s proposal , which would need a three-quarters majority for approval – a highly unlikely scenario – was a major highlight of the agenda.
It took something of a backseat under the avalanche of corruption claims but in his presidential election address, Blatter made a point of stressing that a solution was desperately needed to resolve what has become a virtual impasse.
PFA chief Jibril Rajoub, who was persuaded at previous congresses not to call for Israel to be removed and accepted FIFA-organised mediation efforts instead, has insisted in recent weeks that this time there would be no turning back over the issue of freedom of movement of his players and officials – and that his proposal would go ahead. But Rajoub told Insideworldfootball: “Maybe something will happen but if it does not until the last moment – if the Israelis want it.”
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