Amnesty International has sent a letter to both FIFA and UEFA, urging them to suspend the Israeli Football Association (IFA) from their respective tournaments. The suspension is demanded until the IFA excludes clubs based in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) from continuing to play in Israel’s football leagues.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, emphasized the urgency of the request. “As Israel’s national football team gears up for World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Italy, Israel continues to perpetrate genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” Callamard said. She noted that over 65,000 people have been killed, including 800 athletes.
Callamard stated that allowing settlement clubs to play is “nothing short of a disgrace,” violating both international law and FIFA’s own statutes, specifically Article 64.2, which governs playing on the territory of another member association. There are at least six such clubs currently competing in Israeli leagues.
The FIFA Council is scheduled to meet on October 2, with the Palestinian Football Association still awaiting a response to a formal complaint lodged in March 2024. Suspending the IFA would mean cutting off funding and barring Israeli national and club teams from international competitions until the IFA complies.
Callamard concluded, “Football is not played in a vacuum. FIFA and UEFA must accept their responsibilities under international law and stop letting Israeli national teams and club sides participate in international or European football until the IFA suspends all clubs from illegal settlements.”