Amnesty International has called on FIFA and UEFA to suspend the Israeli Football Association (IFA) from all competitions until it removes clubs based in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) from Israel’s football leagues. The organization highlighted that at least six clubs from settlements continue to compete in Israeli leagues, violating both international law and FIFA statutes, which prohibit member associations and their clubs from playing in another member association’s territory without approval.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, condemned Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza and the West Bank, noting that the IFA’s inclusion of settlement-based clubs contributes to the country’s violations of international law. She emphasized that football should not provide legitimacy or economic support to illegal settlements, calling the continued participation of these clubs “a disgrace.”
The Palestinian Football Association has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA in March 2024, and the FIFA Council is scheduled to meet on 2 October to consider the issue. Suspension of the IFA would block Israeli national and club teams from international competitions, withdraw funding, and strip the association of membership and voting rights until it complies with FIFA statutes and international law.
Amnesty International stressed that sports organizations must uphold international law and that football should not be used to legitimize or sustain illegal settlements. The group urged FIFA and UEFA to act immediately to ensure that Israeli teams and clubs do not participate internationally until settlement-based clubs are suspended.
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