The FIFA announced Thursday that it will not suspend Israel from international competitions, and will deliver a light punishment on the country’s soccer federation for discrimination violations.
FIFA’s rulings addressed two different concerns brought by the Palestinian Football Association in 2024.
The first centered around Israeli football teams playing in the West Bank, a longstanding issue for Palestinian soccer officials. FIFA said it would not take action on this topic “given that, in the context of the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the FIFA Statutes, the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law.”
The PFA released a statement in response to FIFA’s ruling, saying “this matter has been under continuous consideration within FIFA structures since 2013, including through the findings of the FIFA Monitoring Committee, the independent legal assessment commissioned by FIFA, and extensive expert submissions. These processes have established a consistent and comprehensive factual and legal record, including the identification of Israeli settlement clubs operating in the internationally recognized territory of Palestine and the applicable provisions of the FIFA Statutes.”
The second concern involved alleged breaches of FIFA’s behavior and discrimination policies, for which the governing body found “multiple breaches,” but issued only a slap on the wrist.
FIFA fined the Israeli Football Association roughly $190,000, issued a warning, and ordered the federation to “implement a prevention plan” that involves displaying a banner that reads “Football Unites the World – No to Discrimination” with its logo at its next three FIFA home matches. The ruling said that a third of the fine should go toward enacting “a comprehensive plan to ensure action against discrimination and to prevent repeated incidents.”
The IFA can appeal FIFA’s decision.
FIFA is also contending with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which began when Israel and the U.S. launched a joint attack against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran responded with counterattacks throughout the region. The global governing body says it still wants Iran to participate in the World Cup, following the schedule made in December, which has Iran playing three group stage matches on U.S. soil.
“FIFA can’t solve geopolitical conflicts, but we are committed to using the power of football and the FIFA World Cup to build bridges and promote peace as our thoughts are with those who are suffering as a consequence of the ongoing wars,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday.
