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Photo: AFP
Palestinian fans
Photo: AFP

FIFA to study Israel-Palestinians dispute

World soccer federation will vote this month on Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel.

A move to consider suspending Israel from world soccer will be put to FIFA's 209 member federations just before they elect their president this month.

 

 

FIFA published an agenda Monday for its election congress on May 29, including a late proposal by Palestinian soccer officials to suspend Israel.

 

It is unlikely to succeed after FIFA President Sepp Blatter said last month he opposed the move, which needs three-quarters of votes to pass if a ballot is allowed.

 

Fans of Palestinian national team (Photo: AFP)
Fans of Palestinian national team (Photo: AFP)

Palestinian officials insist Israel's soccer federation should be punished for restrictions imposed by security forces which limit movement of players, opposing teams and equipment.

 

Earlier in the meeting in Zurich, Blatter -- who met several times in recent weeks with Palestinian soccer leader Jibril Rajoub -- is scheduled to update on his mediation between the two federations. Talks began in 2013.

 

Blatter said ahead of meeting Rajoub in Cairo last month that suspending a member "is always something which harms the whole organization."

 

FIFA suspensions prevent a member's national and club teams taking part in international matches and meetings, and block FIFA funding.

 

The FIFA election is the final main item of business on the annual congress agenda.

 

Agenda 15 on the item for the May 29 Congress in Zurich read: "Proposal by the Palestinian Football Association for the suspension of the Israel Football Association."

 

FIFA President Sepp Blatter (Photo: AP)
FIFA President Sepp Blatter (Photo: AP)

 

Two years ago, FIFA established a task force which included president Sepp Blatter, the Israeli and Palestinian soccer chiefs and the heads of the European and Asian soccer confederations to examine the Palestinian complaints and to try and resolve them.

 

Blatter said at the time that he was determined to resolve the impasse.

 

However, on Friday PFA president Jibril Rajoub told Reuters that nothing had improved and reiterated his claim that Israel was "were persecuting Palestine footballers, athletes and the movement of sporting equipment".

 

Rajoub agreed to drop a similar resolution at last year's Congress in Sao Paulo but he said he would not back down this time.

 

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. 

 


פרסום ראשון: 05.04.15, 22:45
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