September 2 – FIFA is continuing to drag its feet over the crisis in the Middle East by once again delaying a review of a Palestinian bid to have Israel kicked out over its destruction of Gaza.
At the FIFA Congress in Bangkok in May, FIFA president Gianni Infantino mandated a panel of independent legal experts to assess the Palestine – Israel conflict but both the assessment and decision were postponed to allow Israel to compete in the Olympic football tournament.
The Palestine Football Association’s complaint should then have been addressed during an extraordinary FIFA Council meeting in July.
However, on July 19, FIFA moved the goalposts, indicating that the review by its all-powerful Council “for any subsequent decision” would take place “no later than 31 August 2024.”
But in the latest move that will have surprised no-one given FIFA’s past delaying tactics, the organisation said late on Friday it would now consider the Palestine Football Association’s (PFA) proposals to suspend Israel in October.
“FIFA has received the independent legal assessment of the Palestine Football Association’s proposals against Israel,” FIFA said.
“This assessment will be sent to the FIFA Council to review in order that the subject can be discussed at its next meeting which will take place in October.”
The Palestinian proposal accuses the Israeli FA of complicity in violations of international law by the Israeli government, discrimination against Arab players, and overseeing clubs established in illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territory.
Israel has rejected all the allegations but the PFA claims over 90 Palestinian players have been killed in the war, as well as football infrastructure being destroyed, its leagues suspended and its national team required to play World Cup qualifiers abroad.
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