An Israeli delegation arrived in Thailand on Tuesday ahead of the FIFA Congress scheduled for Friday, during which there will be a discussion regarding a request by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) to expel Israel from FIFA, soccer's international governing body, over its military actions in the Gaza Strip.
Despite global public opposition to Israel, the PFA's appeal is set to undergo a significant vetting by the FIFA Council as early as Thursday.
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Palestinian Football Association Chairman Jibril Rajoub
(Photo: Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images)
PFA Chairman Jibril Rajoub is working behind the scenes with the support of the Arab world to bring his demand for sanctions against Israel to a vote at the FIFA Congress for the first time.
Given the current global sentiment against Israel and the equal participation of soccer associations worldwide without a UN-style veto, a majority vote in favor of sanctions appears likely.
Similar to past instances in 2015 and 2017, the FIFA Council, consisting of the sport's senior officials, is considering whether to refer the issue to its Council instead of holding a debate among the 211 FIFA member federations. Alternatively, they may seek to moderate the demand to avoid imposing actual sanctions. In 2017, the proposal passed with a 73% majority, this week's motion could garner even more votes in favor.
If the FIFA Council fails to secure a majority, further discussions on the issue will ensue. Sources close to the matter believe that the Council will present a proposal at the Congress for ongoing review of the issue that stops short of imposing sanctions.
Israel Football Association representatives, accompanied by lawyers and supported by the Foreign Ministry as well as the Culture and Sports Ministry, arrived in Thailand on Tuesday. They are bracing for the possibility that the FIFA Congress might pass a vote leading to immediate recourse to the International Court of Appeals in Sports (CAS).
"If the whole world does not sell us out, we will get through it successfully," an official from the delegation optimistically said.