FIFA has once again postponed its decision regarding a Palestinian request to exclude Israel from international football competitions due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The matter, which has been under consideration since May, will now be reviewed in October.
In a statement released late Friday, FIFA announced that it would address the Palestinian Football Association’s (PFA) requests against the Israeli Football Association (IFA) during its next council meeting in October.
The PFA initially submitted the request in May, urging FIFA to take action against Israel in response to the alleged violations of international law by the Israeli government and the alleged discrimination against Arab players.
FIFA had originally promised to conduct an urgent legal assessment and to present its findings during an extraordinary council meeting in July.
However, the organization later delayed this review, stating that it would provide the legal assessment to its council by August 31. Now, FIFA has postponed the matter further, with the evaluation set to be discussed in October.
“FIFA has received the independent legal assessment regarding the Palestinian Football Association’s requests against Israel.
This assessment will be sent to the FIFA Council for review, and the matter will be discussed at the next meeting in October,” FIFA said in its statement. The organization did not provide additional details about the assessment or the specific date of the October meeting.
The Palestinian Football Association has accused the Israeli Football Association of complicity in violations of international law committed by the Israeli government, including discrimination against Arab players and the inclusion of football clubs based in Palestinian territories in Israeli leagues. The Israeli Football Association has denied these allegations.
The PFA has also claimed that at least 92 Palestinian football players have been killed during the conflict in Gaza, with significant damage to the football infrastructure in the region.
The ongoing war has disrupted football leagues, and the Palestinian national team has been forced to play its World Cup qualifiers abroad.
In its request, the PFA has called on FIFA to impose “appropriate sanctions” against Israeli teams, including the national team and club sides, as a response to these alleged violations.
The upcoming FIFA council meeting in October will be closely watched, as it could set a significant precedent in the intersection of international sports and geopolitics.
The decision may also have broader implications for the role of sports organizations in addressing political conflicts and human rights issues.
