FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, on Friday postponed a decision to temporarily suspend Israel over its actions during the conflict in Gaza, and in the West Bank, saying it needed to solicit legal advice before taking up a motion submitted by the Palestinian Football Association.
The motion calling for Israel’s suspension referred to “international law violations committed by the Israeli occupation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza,” and cited violations of FIFA’s human rights and discrimination statutes.
Responding to emotionally charged addresses at FIFA’s annual congress by the head of the Palestinian soccer body, Jibril Rajoub, FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, said the urgency of the situation meant he would convene an extraordinary meeting of FIFA’s top board on July 25.
Before that meeting, he said, FIFA will ask experts to analyze whether Israel’s actions breach the governing body’s regulations. By contrast, in 2022, FIFA acted quickly to bar Russian teams and clubs from competitions after the country’s forces launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
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If FIFA decides to ban Israel based on actions in Gaza and the West Bank, could this set a precedent for how sports bodies address international law and human rights violations?
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Does treating different conflicts differently (such as Israel vs. Ukraine) demonstrate a bias, and if so, is such bias justifiable?
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How do you balance the need for a sport to be inclusive and promote human rights with the desire to avoid politicizing the sport?
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Is it fair to penalize athletes and teams for the actions of their government?
