FIFA TO CONSIDER SUSPENDING ISRAEL FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL

West Bank, 17 Rajab 1436/6 May 2015 (MINA) – The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) accepted on Monday a the Palestinians’ request to discuss the option of suspending Israel from the international football organization during a FIFA congress set to be held on May 29.

Palestine has complained that Israel has continued to hamper its football activities, saying the occupation imposes restrictions on the movement of their athletes between the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The PFA has also cited curbs Israel places on the import into Palestinian territories of sports equipment and on visits by foreign teams and individuals, Falastennews quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

Two years ago, FIFA established a task force which included president Sepp Blatter, the Israeli and Palestinian football chiefs and the heads of the European and Asian football confederations to examine the Palestinian complaints and to try and resolve them.

FIFA published an agenda Monday for its election congress on May 29, including a late proposal by Palestinian football officials to suspend Israel.

A move to consider suspending Israel from world football will be put to FIFA’s 209 member federations just before they elect their president this month, the organization’s statement said.

Palestinian officials insist Israel’s football federation should be punished for restrictions imposed by its security forces which limit movement of players, opposing teams and equipment.

“Footballers have been targeted, shot and maimed, shot and killed, jailed and tortured, stadiums bombed and players and fans have been refused permission to travel to matches,” head of the Palestinian football association Jibril Rajoub said in an earlier meeting in Zurich with Blatter.(T/R04/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)