London, MINA – Dozens of athletes have urged the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend Israel for its ongoing human rights violations against Palestinians, Anadolu Agency reported on Tuesday.
In a letter addressed to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, the group Athletes for Peace, representing more than 70 sports figures, endorsed calls for UEFA to cut ties with the Israel Football Association.
The letter, initiated by the organization israel/">Game Over Israel, is supported by Athletes 4 Peace, The Gaza Tribunal, and The Hind Rajab Foundation.
“No shared venue, stage, or arena in international civil society should welcome a regime that commits genocide, apartheid, and other crimes against humanity,” the letter stated.
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Among those who signed the petition were high-profile footballers such as French World Cup winner Paul Pogba, Dutch forward Anwar El Ghazi, Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech, and Spanish winger Adama Traore.
The letter further emphasized that “Israel’s continued impunity for such crimes will only be ended by the weight of collective conscientious action, including measures to block their entry to sporting or cultural events and activities.”
Addressing Ceferin directly, the athletes referenced his own words that “football belongs to everyone,” cautioning that allowing those who harm humanity into the sport risks undermining football’s core values of unity and fairness.
The petition is part of a growing campaign calling on UEFA to ban Israel from international tournaments due to its actions in Gaza.
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According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s military offensive since October 2023 has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children, injured over 170,000 others, and rendered much of the Gaza Strip uninhabitable.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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