FIFA will seek legal advice on calls to suspend the Israel Football Association

World football’s governing body FIFA will hold a special council meeting within the next two months to decide whether to exclude the Israel Football Association (IFA) from international competitions, President Gianni Infantino said on Friday at a congress meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) had called for a vote on a ban on Israel before Infantino made the announcement following allegations that the IFA had violated FIFA rules during the ongoing war in Gaza.

“Due to the obvious sensitivity of these matters, FIFA will immediately engage independent legal experts to analyze and evaluate the three applications from the Palestinian Football Association and ensure that FIFA’s statutes and regulations are correctly applied. said Infantino.

“In order to ensure a fair and due process, this legal assessment must of course take into account the submissions and claims of both member associations.”

Infantino said the findings and recommendations would be communicated to all members of the FIFA Council before attending an extraordinary meeting to be held before July 20 to consider the PFA’s proposal to suspend Israel from international matches.

Before Infantino’s announcement, PFA President Jibril Rajoub had called for immediate action from FIFA.

“As I speak to you today, the Palestinian people, including the Palestinian football family, are experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. “We are witnessing a live-televised genocide taking place in Gaza,” Rajoub said.

“I ask you to be on the right side of history and vote now. The suffering of millions, including thousands of footballers, deserves the same. If not now then when? Mr. President, the ball is in your court.”

Rajoub further called on FIFA to “temporarily suspend the IFA as a member of FIFA with immediate effect.”

Jordan Football Association general secretary Samar Nassar backed Rajoub, saying: “We are not here to deliberate on the human tragedy. We are here to vote. The world is witnessing what FIFA will do today.”

“FIFA has been on the right side of history before when it banned Yugoslavia, Russia and South Africa for more than 20 years. And I think we have a role to play today,” Nassar added.

Responding to calls for a ban on the IFA, association president Shino Moshe Zuares said: “Today, perhaps more than ever, I believe that football must be a key element in healing fractures and wounds and help us and everyone to recover. Once again, we are faced with a cynical, political and hostile attempt by the Palestinian Association to harm Israeli football.”

“Make no mistake, the IFA has never broken FIFA and UEFA rules and will never do so in the future,” he added.

“Seven months after that terrible day, when football matches cannot be played in large parts of Israel, north and south, and over 130 Israelis are still held in Gaza, it is unfair that we are fighting for our basic needs even under these circumstances Right to be part of the game.”

In his closing remarks to the debate, Infantino said: “Like everyone else, I was extremely shocked by what happened in Israel on October 7. And like everyone else, I was extremely, extremely shocked and am also extremely shocked by what is happening in Gaza.”

“I pray for all the people who are suffering the unimaginable… and like all of you, I want only one thing: peace.”

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