An independent legal analysis conducted by lawyers specializing in international law and human rights confirmed that Israel should be prohibited from practicing any football-related activities due to its violation of FIFA regulations amid the war in Gaza.
Last May, the Palestinian Football Association proposed stopping Israel, with FIFA ordering an urgent legal evaluation while promising to address it at an extraordinary meeting of its council this July.
The Asian Football Confederation also expressed support for action against Israel, and Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub said FIFA could not remain indifferent to "ongoing violations or genocide in Palestine."
Lawyer Max du Plessis, who was part of the case that South Africa filed against Israel accusing it of committing genocide before the International Court of Justice, co-wrote the analysis with Sarah Poidevin-Jones after they were contacted by Echo, a non-profit organization specializing in Social Justice.
The legal report added: “There is no doubt that Israel’s conduct in Palestine has undermined and continues to undermine the objectives of FIFA. Israel has violated the internationally recognized human rights of Palestinians in contravention of Article 3. It has discriminated and continues to discriminate against Palestinians on the basis of race, national origin and birth in violation of Direct to Article 4(1).”
He continued: “Its behavior undermines the humanitarian objectives of Article 5.1(b). Israel’s behavior requires censure, in line with the position adopted by FIFA with regard to similarly flagrant violations of its objectives and internationally recognized human rights.”
The Palestinian proposal accuses the Israeli Football Association of complicity in violations of international law by the Israeli government and discrimination against Arab players. The Israeli Football Association rejected this.
Echo said that its memorandum calling on FIFA, the International Olympic Committee and sports federations to ban Israel from international sports had received more than 380,000 signatures.
Comentarios