Israeli Participation Will Not Be on FIFA Agenda

The Israeli team are set to compete against Norway and the Italian side in October.

  • Published

Israel's involvement in soccer does not appear on the agenda for a Fifa council meeting in the Swiss city on this Thursday.

The meeting of FIFA's main decision-making body occurs amidst growing calls on sports officials to sanction Israel after a United Nations commission of inquiry found recently that Israeli forces has committed genocide against Palestinian people in Gaza.

While the issue will not be on the agenda, it might be raised under 'miscellaneous'.

Israel's football team are actively involved in UEFA qualification games for this summer's World Cup tournament, and the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv are taking part in the European competition.

Mounting Pressure for Measures

The advocacy group is the latest body to call on FIFA, which runs the global tournament, and Uefa, which organises UEFA events, to exclude the Israeli soccer federation from their tournaments.

Fifa deputy president the FIFA official stated that UEFA ought to take the ruling.

"Above all, [Israel] is a member of UEFA, just like I handle a affiliate of my geographic area for whatever reason. They must address that," he stated.

Global Tournament Qualification Status

Israel hold third place in their qualification group - managed by Uefa - multiple points trailing top team Norway.

The top team from each group secure immediate placement for the championship, with the second-place teams entering the qualification playoffs.

The next World Cup will be jointly hosted by the US, Mexico and Canadian organizers.

Global Reactions

The international inquiry said there were valid reasons to find that the majority of crimes against humanity defined under international law were committed after the commencement of the conflict in 2023.

A committee of international law authorities at the UN subsequently called on Fifa and Uefa to exclude Israel's national team from international football, commenting: "Competitions must reject the notion that it is normal operations."

Israel has repeatedly refuted that their measures in the Gaza Strip represent genocide and maintains they are justified as a method of self-protection.

Meanwhile, athletic company the brand clarified allegations that it asked the Israeli Football Association to take off their branding from their uniforms are "completely false".

"Following discussions between the organization's leader the IFA official, Reebok and the territorial licensee, the company reversed its decision to terminate their agreement with Israeli squads, and the squad jerseys in worldwide tournaments will feature the brand's emblem as it has been previously," said an organization's release.

An official for the brand stated it "is proud of our reputation as a bringer together of all cultures both on and off the pitch".

The spokesperson continued: "We intend to persist to respect our organization's and our territorial affiliate's commitment to the Israeli Football Association. We avoid political matters; we focus on sports."

Jason Gray
Jason Gray

A passionate gamer and betting analyst with over a decade of experience in esports and online gaming communities.