FIFA ignored request for antisemitism observers at World Cup

Football’s governing body FIFA has ignored a request for observers to be present at the World Cup tournament in Qatar to counter any emergence of antisemitism.

A letter sent to the World Cup Supreme Organising Committee and Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) made the experts to be in the Gulf State for this month’s event.

A joint request was made by envoys from the UK, Germany, United States and Canada to allow “experts on antisemitism and anti-Jewish hatred as part of its group of observers monitoring issues of discrimination during the World Cup.”

It added:”We call on FIFA to take a lead and incorporate this ask, as part of the implementation of its anti-discrimination action plan, ahead of the competition in November.

“In particular, we are concerned that there is no specific expertise on antisemitism built into the monitoring arrangements.”

The letter said “this responsibility is enshrined in article 3 of the FIFA Statutes 1 , which reads as follows: ‘FIFA is committed to respecting all internationally recognised human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights.’

“As part of this commitment, FIFA has a duty to include the monitoring of antisemitism, as part of its strategic programme of combating all forms of discrimination.”

Signatories on the letter included Lord John Mann, Deborah Lipstadt, United States special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, and Noa Tishby, special envoy for combating antisemitism and the delegitimisation of Israel.

After claims emerged about the lack of cooked kosher food and facilities for Jewish prayer in Qatar, Lord Mann, the UK’s government adviser on antisemitism, tweeted:”Nor will FIFA allow Jewish match observers as requested by UK Germany, US, Canada and other envoys appointed to counter antisemitism.”