Why FIFA's decision to punt on banning Israel isn't a big surprise

By

Leyla Hamed

The world football’s governing body has once again delayed ruling on a Palestinian bid to have Israel banned from international matches over its brutal aggression on Gaza.

But in a small concession, it has asked for a disciplinary investigation into the possible discrimination alleged by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA).

FIFA claims that it does not want to get embroiled in political situations – but this a cop-out. Politics affects every aspect of life, sports included. The participation of Israel's national and club teams in international tournaments sends a strong message that state violence is normal and can be overlooked. This is unacceptable.

During a council meeting in Zurich, FIFA officials on Thursday indicated that they have not reached a decision on a Palestinian request to suspend Israel from the federation. The announcement was met by frustration and anger from many in the sporting community.

Speaking to TRT World, Abubaker Abed, a young Palestinian sports journalist and commentator from Gaza, said, "By postponing its decision once again, FIFA approved of its double standards and hypocrisy. After one year of a live-streamed genocide, where almost the entire sports infrastructure has been obliterated and more than 305 footballers have been killed, FIFA can’t take a firm stance and ban Israel."

He added that it only took FIFA three days to impose sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"FIFA’s postponement can tell us that all their so-called 'equality' campaigns were just mere facades."

International sympathy with Ukraine compared to the silence on Palestine illustrates the hypocrisy and double standards of FIFA.

It is now imperative to ask officials at FIFA, UEFA and the national football authorities and clubs where they have been hiding when it comes to taking decisive action against Israel for its crimes.

Investigation

The PFA first submitted its proposal to suspend Israel at the FIFA Congress held in May, with FIFA ordering an urgent legal evaluation and promising to address the matter at an extraordinary meeting of its council in July.

But in July, FIFA said that the legal assessment would now be shared with its council by August 31, alleging that: "following requests for extension from both parties to submit their respective positions, duly granted by FIFA, more time is needed to conclude this process with due care."

However, according to people close to the matter, the report from FIFA's legal experts was already delivered to the body a week before this announcement.

Now, the deadline has been pushed back again at the meeting of FIFA's 37-member Council on Thursday – even as the genocide of Palestinians escalates and conflict intensifies across the Middle East.

At the organisation's headquarters in Zurich on Thursday, the FIFA Council adopted the recommendations and conclusions reached in the legal analysis.

"The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will be mandated to initiate an investigation into the alleged offence of discrimination raised by the Palestine Football Association," FIFA said in a statement.

The participation in Israeli football competitions of Israeli teams allegedly based in Palestinian territories will also be subject to an investigation.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that the council followed the advice of independent experts.

"The ongoing violence in the region confirms that, above all considerations, and as stated at the 74th FIFA Congress, we need peace. As we remain extremely shocked by what is happening, and our thoughts are with those who are suffering, we urge all parties to restore peace to the region with immediate effect," he added.

The PFA has accused the Israeli Football Association of complicity with the Israeli government in violating international law by discriminating against Arab players, and including in its league clubs based on illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian territory.

"FIFA allowed Israel FA to continue using Palestinian territory as its own, and football as an instrument of colonial expansionism. It makes FIFA complicit in human rights violations, illegal occupation and apartheid" said Katarina Pijetlovic, head of the PFA’s legal department, after FIFA deferred a ruling again.

The "neutral" stance of FIFA on settlement clubs participating in the Israeli league confirms the essence of its leadership, which is biased in favour of Israel and the Israeli lobby.

FIFA failed to give a timetable on Thursday for when the new investigation will be completed

UN weighs in

In response to FIFA's announcement, a group of United Nations human rights experts said that at least eight football clubs have been identified as playing in Israeli colonial settlements in the occupied West Bank.

"Such integration and conduct within the IFA amounts to recognising as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory. This is in stark violation of international law," the experts said.

They urged FIFA to ensure implementation of its zero-tolerance policy against discriminatory conduct and racism when it comes to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.

"We remind FIFA that international human rights law, which includes the right to self-determination, as well as the prohibition of racial discrimination and apartheid, applies to private international organisations, especially those that have global jurisdiction and mandates such as itself. FIFA must also fulfil its responsibility to respect human rights," they said.

They called on the FIFA Council "to ensure that its decisions are in conformity with non-derogable norms of international law."

Israel has long been condemned by human rights groups for dominating and systematically oppressing the Palestinian people through a separate-and-unequal apartheid regime.

Governments, UN agencies, and non-governmental organisations have also accused Israel of carrying out a genocide against the Palestinian people during its invasion and bombing of Gaza, which began after October 7.

Intimidation tactics

Hours after FIFA's decision to punt on Israel’s suspension, Israeli authorities temporarily detained Firas Abu Hilal, the PFA's secretary general.

"The detention of the Secretary General for more than four hours is part of a long series of violations carried out by the occupation against Palestinian Sports," PFA said in a statement published on X.

The lack of solidarity and action of FIFA is not only limited to Palestinian territory.

In recent months, we have seen how FIFA and UEFA have prevented athletes and the public who support Palestine from "mixing sports and politics" as well as failing to condemn and punish abuse towards players who support the Palestinian cause.

In early September, Chilean-Palestinian footballer and former Palestinian national team player Yashir Islame Pinto reported that he was called a "terrorist" by Brazilian striker Dennis Murillo during a football game in the Thai League.

After an official complaint was filed, FIFA decided to sanction Murillo by suspending him for three games, a penalty later reduced to two – as well as sanctioning Yashir himself for his reaction.

Mounting toll

Over the past year, more than 41,000 people, including 16,000 children, have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza and more than 89,000 Palestinians have been injured, while at least 10,000 are feared still buried under rubble.

According to Fifa, at least 305 football players have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war, including 84 children who were part of Gaza’s youth football academies.

Sports infrastructure has been demolished, with Al-Dorra being the sole standing stadium in Gaza, now sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinian people. Gaza’s football league activities have also been halted since.

The national team has not been able to host a game at home in nearly five years – meaning the team has been forced to play qualifiers overseas without a cheering crowd, amidst all the violence, displacement and trauma back home.

However, Palestine’s national team, affectionately known as Al-Fedayeen, continues to rise.

It is currently playing a historic run in the Asian qualifying program for the 2026 World Cup. It hosted Jordan three weeks ago in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and will play in Iraq on October 10, then host Kuwait five days later in Doha, Qatar.

The author, Leyla Hamed is a Spanish-born and originally Moroccan football journalist and sports law expert based in the United Kingdom. She is currently working as an editor, writer and talker for The Athletic, covering the English Premier League.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of TRT Afrika.

➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.