FIFA Congress to vote on banning Israel from international football

FIFA will discuss the Palestinian Football Association’s proposal to suspend Israel from world football at their Congress in Zurich on 29 May.

Item 15 on a 19-point agenda, Palestine football chief Jibril Rajoub, who called upon world football’s governing body to ban Israel as a result of what he says is their refusal to allow the free movement of players and equipment in Gaza and the West Bank, is confident of getting the three-quarters majority he needs to rule in favour of the motion.

Rajoub agreed to drop a similar motion at last year’s Congress, though has said on Friday that Israel “was persecuting Palestine footballers, athletes and the movement of sporting equipment”, and that he won’t back down again.

Israel cites security concerns for its reasons behind the restrictions it imposes, and claims to have eased travel for athletes.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter last month dismissed Rajoub’s calls saying: “Such a situation shall not occur at the FIFA congress because suspension of a federation for any reason is always something which harms the whole organisation.”