The International Football Federation (FIFA) is seeking independent legal advice before holding an extraordinary council meeting to decide on the Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel from international matches due to the war in Gaza. FIFA President Gianni Infantino outlined the plan during a conference on Friday after representatives from the Palestinian and Israeli football federations had the opportunity to address the 211 member associations.
According to the Associated Press, Infantino stated: "FIFA will now delegate independent legal expertise to analyze the three requests (from the Palestinian Football Association) and ensure the statutes of FIFA are applied correctly." He added that "this legal assessment should allow for inputs and claims from both member associations, the results, and recommendations will be referred to the FIFA Council."
He continued, "Given the seriousness of the situation, an extraordinary FIFA Council will be held to review the results of the legal assessment and make appropriate decisions."
The Palestinian Football Association submitted a proposal to FIFA's 211 members calling for "appropriate sanctions, to take effect immediately, against Israeli football clubs," according to documents from FIFA released a month before the congress and council meeting in Bangkok. The proposal cited "violations of international law perpetrated by the Israeli occupation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza," and referenced FIFA's legal obligations regarding human rights and against discrimination.
The Palestinian Football Association stated that "all football infrastructure in Gaza has either been destroyed or severely damaged, including the historic Yarmouk Stadium," and mentioned that the proposal is supported by federations from Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and Yemen.
The Asian Football Confederation has expressed its support for Palestine's proposal to suspend Israel's membership in FIFA due to the ongoing war in Gaza during its conference held in Bangkok on Thursday. AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa reaffirmed his commitment to continue supporting the Palestinian Football Association and its proposal ahead of the FIFA meeting tomorrow, which seeks to "adopt immediate and appropriate sanctions against Israeli teams," according to Reuters.
Sheikh Salman stated, "The strength of the AFC comes from the strength of its members, and when one member suffers, the rest of the members are affected. The AFC stands with the Palestinian Association, and we join them in seeking effective solutions emerging from football for the grievances raised by the Palestinian Football Association in their proposal."
He added, "It is our duty to support the Palestinian Association in reaching a swift and effective solution in line with the rules, regulations, and statutes of the AFC and FIFA." The Palestinian Association submitted its proposal to FIFA on March 11 of last year and it will be discussed during FIFA's annual meeting after being added to the agenda with the support of the federations from Algeria, Jordan, Syria, and Yemen.
