Palestinian soccer chairman asks FIFA to suspend Israel
In an interview with Al-Monitor, Palestinian Soccer Association Chairman Jibril Rajoub accuses Israel of harassing Palestinian soccer by preventing the free movement of players and the importation of equipment.
Jibril Rajoub, the chairman of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) and one of the leaders of the Fatah movement, is convinced that the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) will suspend Israel from the organization at the end of May. In recent months, Rajoub has been wielding tremendous pressure on FIFA Congress members who are scheduled to convene May 28 in Zurich to discuss the Palestinian Authority (PA) demand that Israel be suspended for what he calls its continual harassment of Palestinian sport in general and soccer in particular. A three-quarters majority of the organization's 209-member states is required to carry the resolution to suspend Israel.
In an interview with Al-Monitor, Rajoub says the Israelis believe that by virtue of being members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) they can feel safe and protected, but that's a mistake. According to him, the Palestinians have already secured a majority to support Israel's suspension. The interview with Rajoub took place shortly after his return from Saudi Arabia, where he met with Nawaf bin Faisal, president-general of youth welfare from the Saudi Ministry of Youth and Sport.
"For years I've been trying to convince the Israelis to remove the obstacles hampering the development of sport in the Palestinian Authority," Rajoub said. "Together with Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh, I met six times with [former] President Shimon Peres in a bid to remove the obstacles for hosting players and teams for friendlies and official matches within the Authority as well as with regard to the transfer of players between leagues. Israel has even been denying us sporting equipment that's needed to develop sport. These are the topics we wish to address with the participants at the FIFA Congress. I first raised the problems Israel has been causing us and its harassment of Palestinian sport at the FIFA Congress two years ago. I have to say that there was a consensus to condemn Israel and take measures against it. But an opportunity was offered back then to find acceptable solutions before any steps were taken. FIFA President Sepp Blatter proposed to come to the region and resolve the issue himself. He did come and met with senior Israeli sport officials as well as with senior political officials (including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in May 2014). But the Israelis aren't serious. Nothing has changed and all the promises have been proven to be hollow."
"Last year in Brazil I raised our plight again. UEFA President Michel Platini proposed to set up a committee that would look into the matter and resolve the problem. However, not only has there been no change but the situation has in fact gotten worse. The Israelis were condescending and offensive to us during all the encounters."
