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FIFA to monitor Israeli violations against Palestinian soccer

The international soccer federation has not sanctioned Israel for its violations against Palestinian soccer, instead giving a committee until December to monitor developments.
A Palestinian protester holding a Palestinian flag heads a soccer ball next to Israeli border police during a demonstration in solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, outside Israel's Ofer military prison near Ramallah June 11, 2014. Israel's parliament has given initial approval to a law to enable the force-feeding of Palestinian prisoners on a hunger strike, drawing defiance from activists who said on Tuesday it would not deter the inmates.  REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BAN
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The FIFA Congress decided on June 11 to form a neutral committee to monitor Israeli violations against Palestinian sports, but fell short of punishing Israel. The committee will submit its report in a meeting in Morocco in December. Despite expectations, it didn’t turn out to be the day to punish Israel for violations against Palestinian soccer and other sports, FIFA regulations and the Olympic Charter.

Maj. Gen. Jibril Rajoub, the head of the Palestinian Football Federation, did not abide by his promise in mid-May not to hesitate to ask the FIFA Congress, which will meet in Sao Paulo this month on the sidelines of the World Cup in Brazil, to vote on expelling Israel from the organization.

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