“If the Israeli Association is concerned about being suspended, they should respect the FIFA Statute and stop being an integral part of the Israeli occupation and its Apartheid policies”

Head of the Palestine Football Association (PFA) Gen. Jibril Rajoub met with Sepp. Blatter in Switzerland earlier today to discuss the latest meeting between FIFA and the Israeli Football Association (IFA) regarding Israeli violations of the FIFA Statute and the ongoing oppression against Palestinian athletes which has been continuously denounced by the PFA. Gen. Rajoub accepted a request from Mr. Blatter to meet the head of the Israeli Football Association after their meeting.

Gen. Rajoub declared the following after his meeting with the IFA:

We accepted to meet with the Israeli Association in appreciation to the efforts made by FIFA Chairman Sepp Blatter for the development of football in Palestine. Unfortunately, the meeting simply reaffirmed that the Israeli Football Association does not want to stop being a tool of the Israeli occupation or to respect the FIFA Statutes. It is clear that the Israeli Football Association is not willing to recognize PFA as a federation with equal rights and obligations, just as they continue to violate their commitments made before FIFA.

We are therefore determined to continue our path to suspend the Israeli Football Association during the next FIFA Congress, this May 29. If the IFA is concerned about being suspended, they should respect the FIFA Statute and stop being an integral part of the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine and its Apartheid policies.