FIFA’s dilly-dallying on suspension of Israel makes it complicit in Gaza genocide

By Alireza Akbari

A Palestinian request to ban Israel from international football has again been postponed by the world football’s governing body FIFA until October even as the death toll from the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza continues to mount with daily massacres.

In the latest statement, the Zurich-based football governing body earlier this week noted that the proposals submitted by the Palestine Football Association (PFA) against the Israel Football Association (IFA) will be considered in October, raising many eyebrows.

Palestine's call for the suspension of Israel from international football dates back to 2014.

However, the issue gained urgency amid the Israeli genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip as well as the occupied West Bank. Since October last year, the no-holds-barred war has claimed more than 40,700 lives in Gaza and nearly 700 in the occupied West Bank.

Among the victims are at least 370 athletes, including 260 footballers. Many of them were prominent names who had represented Palestine at the international level.

The repeated delays to suspend Israel have not gone down well with football fans, journalists and activists in Palestine and other countries as they Say it makes FIFA complicit in the ongoing genocide.

"FIFA, in other words, is saying: 'We would like to thank Israel for killing 40,000 people, maiming 90,000 others, and destroying sports in Gaza’,” Abubaker Abed, Gaza-based football journalist wrote on X.

“FIFA has postponed its meeting again which was set to decide whether it would expel Israel. They expelled Russia during the first week of the Ukrainian invasion. We are 11 months into the bombardment and destruction of Gaza, with 40,000 + killed,” wrote Lama Al-Arian, a documentary filmmaker.

Calls for Israel’s ouster

At the 74th FIFA Congress held on May 17 in Bangkok, Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub called attention to Israel's "systematic violations" of FIFA statutes.

Rajoub urged the organization to vote on banning the Tel Aviv regime from international football activities. "I ask you to stand on the right side of history and vote now," he stated.    

In response, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the organization would seek legal advice before deciding on the Palestinian proposal. He suggested that the matter would be addressed during an extraordinary session of the FIFA Council in late July.

On July 19, in a statement, FIFA announced that “more time is needed to conclude this process with due care and completeness,” adding that the assessment will be shared with the FIFA Council for any subsequent decision “no later than August 31, 2024.”

Many saw the move as an attempt by FIFA to allow Israel to participate in the Paris Olympics.

On August 31, the football governing body again delayed its review of the Palestinian bid, saying the assessment will be sent to the FIFA Council “to review in order that the subject can be discussed at its next meeting which will take place in October.”

Amid this dilly-dallying and procrastination, calls for the suspension of Israel continue to intensify.

The hashtag "Red Card Israel" has been trending on social media for months and an online campaign supporting the ban of the regime has garnered millions of signatures.

Amid FIFA's inaction on Israel's genocidal crimes in Gaza, activists and sports fans worldwide seized the opportunity to voice their protests during the Paris 2024 Olympics, held from July 26 to August 11.

During a football match between Israel and Paraguay, spectators unfurled a banner reading “GENOCIDE OLYMPICS,” protesting the French authorities' inaction regarding the participation of Israel's representatives in the event.

Some athletes refused to compete against their Israeli opponents while many others refused to shake hands with them. Spectators also booed the Israeli players as a mark of protest against the genocide.

Tajikistan’s Nurali Emomali and Morocco’s Abderrahmane Boushita, for instance, refused to shake hands with Israel’s Judoka Barch Shmailov, while Algeria’s Messaoud Redouane Dris avoided competing against his Israeli opponent in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian campaigners, alongside activists and freedom seekers, staged anti-Israel protests at the Parc des Princes stadium during Israel’s match against Mali in the opening round of the Olympic Games.

Outrage over dilly-dallying

Following yet another delay in announcing its verdict, netizens took to Twitter to express their frustration over both FIFA's repeated delays and Israel's genocide in the Palestinian territory.

"They should be red-carded from all social spaces," one user wrote, advocating for Israel's isolation from the international community, including international sports competitions.

Another user offered a different perspective, warning of potential interference.

"Zionist lobbyists and influential Zionist leaders around the world will try hard to get FIFA officials bribed, influenced, or threatened against banning Israel,” the user wrote.

“I hope FIFA will not be labeled as anti-Semitic, and that the US and UK won’t sanction FIFA. However, it’s highly likely."

Given the devastating impact of the war on Gaza’s sports community and growing protests calling for Israel’s ban from sports events, many are questioning the silence of the football governing body.

They point to double standards as FIFA has acted swiftly over Russia's military operation in Ukraine.

In late February 2022, in a joint statement with UEFA, FIFA announced that Russia was expelled from the 2022 World Cup and its teams were suspended from all international football competitions "until further notice."

This double standard is not limited to FIFA. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also applied the same yardstick, raising concerns about the consistency of their policies.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) rejected calls to bar Israel from participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics, despite worldwide protests over the genocidal war on Gaza.

Among athletes killed in the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza include Mohammed Barakat, a legendary footballer with 114 goals to his name, who inspired the young generation of footballers in Palestine.

Another prominent name killed by the Israeli regime is Mahmoud Osama al-Jazzar, the goalkeeper of Khadamah Rafah football club, winners of the Gaza Premier League last season.

"It's heartbreaking to see our stadiums, once filled with passion, rivalry, and joy, now reduced to rubble. It’s unimaginable and heartbreaking that FIFA, the international community, and other organizations haven’t spoken up about what’s happening in Gaza," Abubaker Abed, a sports journalist based in Deir al-Balah told the Press TV website in an interview last week.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk