Palestinian FA demands FIFA to take 'decisive action' against Israel

The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has put forward a motion at the FIFA Congress in May calling for "decisive action" against Israel and its football association (IFA).

This motion, set to spark the first debate at a major sports body conference on the conflict in the Gaza Strip, will be a key item on the agenda at the annual meeting in Bangkok. Other important topics include selecting the host country for the 2027 Women's World Cup and a strategy to address racism.

The proposal is rooted in a letter sent by the PFA to FIFA back in March. It demands "appropriate sanctions, effective immediately, against Israeli teams, both national and club, due to the violations of international law committed by the Israeli occupation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza".

The Israeli military's response came after an attack by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7th.

The PFA accuses the IFA of breaching FIFA's regulations by recognizing clubs in occupied territories and failing to take action against discrimination and racism within its jurisdiction.

The statement from the PFA highlighted the case of Beitar Jerusalem, where Arabs are reportedly blocked from joining the team and violent incidents are not adequately addressed.

Support for the proposal came from the Algerian, Iraqi, Jordanian, Syrian, and Yemeni football federations, but not from Qatar or Saudi Arabia.

The agenda in Bangkok also includes the establishment of new FIFA committees, with a focus on women's football, and the decision on the host country for the 2027 Women's World Cup. The joint bid by Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands will compete against the United States and Mexico, who co-hosted the men's World Cup the previous year with Canada.