World football governing body, FIFA, has been lambasted for failing to ban Israel teams from participating in its competitions, including the World Cup.
This after a FIFA council meeting failed to discuss global pressure to ban Israel at its meeting in Zurich, Switzerland.
The call comes as Israel’s national team is currently participating in the World Cup qualifiers, while some of its clubs are playing in the UEFA competitions.
Delivering his key opening remarks, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, acknowledged the situation in Gaza, but however stressed the role of using football to promote peace and unity.
“At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world.
“Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.
“FIFA cannot solve geopolitical problems, but it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural, and humanitarian values,” said Infantino.
FIFA was however accused of double standards, after it banned Russia and its teams from participating at its competitions, following its invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Israel and Palestine Director of Human Rights Watch, Omar Shakir, has accused FIFA of violating its own commitments.
He said FIFA, just like other companies, is bound to respect its own policies and rules of international law.
“FIFA’s own statutes require the world football federation to respect human rights, which is a pledge that Infantino himself has reiterated.
“FIFA statutes also prohibit a member association from playing on the territory of another association without permission.
“FIFA considers the West Bank to be part of the Palestinian Football Association, indeed no country in the world recognises the West Bank to be part of Israel,” said Shakir.
He said it was on this basis that when Russia occupied Crimea in 2014, FIFA European affiliates blocked Moscow and its teams from participating in its competitions, yet it is refusing to do the same with Russia.
He implored FIFA to bar teams from playing in the occupied West Bank in what he described as settlement teams, as they play on the land stolen from Palestinians.
“It’s quite simple, the law here is the same, it applies the same, the application is different.
“The only real difference here is the lack of political will from FIFA’s leadership and from the states to apply the same law to Israel.
“It’s clear that by playing matches on land stolen from Palestinians in settlements, FIFA is violating its commitments and some international humanitarian laws,” emphasised Shakir.
