The Palestine Football Association (PFA) said FIFA has failed to apply its own rules against Israel, accusing the governing body of years of inaction despite the devastation of Palestinian football.
In a statement on Monday, the PFA said more than 1,013 players, coaches, referees, officials and members of the Palestinian football community have been killed during Israel’s genocide in Gaza, while stadiums, training facilities and football infrastructure have been destroyed.
The PFA also criticised FIFA for failing to act against Israeli settlement clubs in the occupied Palestinian territory, saying complaints it has raised for more than 15 years remain unresolved.
“Silence, when a genocide is being committed live, amounts to complicity,” it said, adding that Palestinian football “can no longer afford promises in place of action.”
Last year, FIFA said it won’t ban Israel from international competition because it “can’t solve geopolitical problems”, a statement that sparked severe backlash.
Football fans accused FIFA of double standards for refusing to ban Israel, while the football governing body immediately banned Russia over the war in Ukraine.
English FA to withdraw support for Infantino
Meanwhile, as pressure mounts on Gianni Infantino, The Athletic reported that England’s football body is set to withdraw support for the FIFA president’s re-election bid.
