RAMALLAH, October 30, 2017 (WAFA) – Palestinians denounced on Sunday the decision by the world football association, FIFA, to remain neutral regarding Israeli teams located in illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Jibril Rjoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), said in a press conference in Ramallah that the decision violates FIFA’s own rules as well as international law.
He said the PFA plans to raise the issue at the Lausanne, Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), an independent institution, which he said is not under anyone’s patronage.
Rjoub strongly criticized FIFA‘s president, Gianni Infantino, whom he said has worked to sideline the Palestinian football delegation at the last congress meeting.
Meanwhile, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi also criticized the FIFA neutrality decision.
"There is no neutrality in the face of criminality. The FIFA Council‘s recent decision to ‘not take any position‘ is disturbing proof that it is bowing to pressure from the Israeli government and giving it a free pass to commit flagrant violations and crimes against the Palestinian people,” she said in a statement.
“By exclusively agreeing to ‘remain neutral with regard to political matters,‘ FIFA is failing to acknowledge the unaccountable military occupation. Assigning equal blame ignores the power asymmetry between the belligerent occupier and a people under occupation. It is without a doubt that FIFA is falling into the trap that the occupation does not actually exist.”
Ashrawi added: “In actuality, FIFA is evading its own mandate and responsibilities that affirm it is ‘committed to respecting all internationally recognized human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights.‘ All settlements are illegal and constitute a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. It is very alarming that FIFA has chosen to turn a blind eye to such irrefutable facts and allow the Israel Football Association to hold matches inside the illegal settlements.
“Accommodating Israel will only encourage it to persist in its unlawful unilateralism. One would hope that it is not too late for FIFA to undo the damage and rectify the situation as soon as possible. We call on FIFA to rescind its decision and to take a principled stand on the right side of justice, not on the side of the occupation and cruelty. We urge it to undertake concrete action and to suspend the Israel Football Association as a result of its inclusion of Israeli settlement football clubs in occupied Palestine and Israel‘s continued oppressive measures against Palestinian athletes, among other violations.”
President Mahmoud Abbas‘ Fatah party, on the other hand, said “the decision constitutes another big scandal for FIFA that is no less than the corruption scandals revealed some months ago, and it is even reasonable to assume that it might be linked to those scandals, especially in light of the acceptance by the President of FIFA Mr. Gianni Infantino of the direct and severe intervention by the Israeli Prime Minister on the issue several months ago.”
It said in a statement: “Every word in the decision of the FIFA Council constitutes a big mistake and violation of international law, beginning with stating that the decision is with regard to ‘the administration of football in the West Bank territories,’ to suggesting that UN Security Council resolution 2334 comprises ‘recommendations,’ to stating that the current situation is ‘characterized by an exceptional complexity and sensitivity,’ and ‘de facto circumstances that can neither be ignored nor changed,’ to stating that the interference by FIFA in ‘the status quo of football in the relevant territories without the consent of the parties concerned’ might aggravate the situation of football not only in the territories concerned but also in the greater region.
“The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is clear. The international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law is very clear. The decision of the Council of FIFA cannot constitute neutrality but rather a violation of international law and submission of football to the might of force and power and it is acceptance of the policies of the only ‘colonial power’ in our contemporary world. As conveyed by the media, statements made by Mr. Infantino after the decisions were even worse than the decision itself which affirms the legitimacy of the deep suspicions of his motivations and what is behind his decisions.”
Fatah said that “this illegal decision cannot be the end of the story as the decision itself tried to do in an undemocratic and imperial way when it stated that ‘the matter is declared closed and will not be the subject of any further discussion.’ We trust that the strength of the international law and the positions of national associations and many FIFA officials shall lead to correcting this huge mistake and big scandal.”
M.K.
