The Palestinian Football Association demands FIFA and UEFA sanctions against Israel

Madrid. – The president of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), Jibril Rajoub, urgently requested that FIFA and UEFA take action against Israel, considering that football “cannot remain neutral in the face of genocide, occupation, and the systematic destruction of sports infrastructure.” You may be interested in:Dominican Valerio-Bodon will play with Valencia Basket in the Super Cup In letters sent to both bodies, Rajoub requested a review of the status of the Israel Football Association (IFA), the expulsion of clubs based in Palestinian territories, and the opening of an independent investigation into Israeli officials, players, and fans for incitement, racism, and support for military actions. The leader recalled that since October 7, 2023, 416 Palestinian footballers and officials have died, including more than a hundred children, and denounced that the stadiums are in ruins and the leagues interrupted. “Palestinian football faces a systematic eradication,” he said. Rajoub stressed that FIFA has already made similar decisions in the past with South Africa, Yugoslavia, and Russia, and warned that the lack of action “erodes its own statutes and proclaimed values”. “The world looks to FIFA not only to enforce the rules of the game, but to uphold the principles of justice. If it doesn’t act now, history will pass a harsh judgment,” warned the PFA president, urging Gianni Infantino and Aleksander Čeferin to respond firmly in their upcoming executive boards. With this, Palestine hopes that the international football community will send a clear message that “racism, apartheid, incitement, occupation and genocide have no place in sport.”