FIFA to decide whether to suspend Israel from international football on Thursday

A decision on whether or not to suspend Israel from international football is set to be taken by the FIFA Council on Thursday.

A proposal to suspend the Israeli federation was first proposed by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) in April and raised at the FIFA Congress the following month.

The PFA cited breaches of the global football governing body’s rules. Israel rejected the allegations contained in the proposal.

The PFA’s initial proposal came amid the bombing of the Palestinian territory of Gaza by Israel, and Thursday’s anticipated decision from the FIFA Council comes at a time when arguably the situation in the Middle East has escalated still further with Iran having now been drawn into the conflict.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said at Congress in May that an independent legal assessment of the PFA’s proposal would need to take place, with FIFA Council to review the assessment in July.

The timeframe for a decision was further extended in July, and on August 31 FIFA said it had received the assessment and that a decision would be taken at its Council meeting in October. Thursday’s meeting is scheduled to start at 12pm UK time.

Speaking at the Congress in May, PFA president Jibril Rajoub said: “How much more must the Palestine football family suffer for FIFA to act with the same severity and urgency as it did in other cases?

“Does FIFA consider some wars to be more important than others and some victims to be more significant?

“I ask you to stand on the right side of history. The suffering of millions, including thousands of footballers, deserves as much. If not now, then when?”

His Israeli counterpart, Moshe Zuares, said at the same event that Israeli lives “had become hell” since the attacks by Hamas militants on October 7 last year.

“It is injustice that even in these circumstances we find ourselves fighting for our basic right to be part of the game,” he said.

“We are facing a cynical political and hostile attempt by the Palestinian association to harm Israeli football.

“Nothing will make me more proud than to lead, sometime in the future when the atmosphere is right, an Israeli team (in) a friendly match against the Palestinians.

“This will certainly contribute to a better future for both peoples. My hand is always outreached, even if the other remains clenched.”