logo
FIFA Under Fire From Palestinian FA For Slow, Unclear Israel Investigation

FIFA Under Fire From Palestinian FA For Slow, Unclear Israel Investigation

Forbes18-05-2025

usan Shalabi was exhausted - tired of traveling halfway around the world from Amman to Asuncion, tired of fighting against the soccer establishment. But she was in Paraguay to deliver an important message on behalf of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), a message FIFA, soccer's global governing body, has heard before—and ignored. Shalabi told me: 'That's the usual FIFA, that's the motto. Procrastination.'
After FIFA president Gianni Infantino wooed delegates with promises of a projected $13 billion revenue and trips to FIFA Summits in Miami - just before a walkout by the European Council members in protest of his late arrival - Shalabi finally got the chance to speak.
Once again she raised the issue of Israeli settlement clubs in the West Bank. With the war in Gaza, her call carried great urgency. Shalabi and PFA president Jibril Rajoub have long been passionate advocates for Palestinian soccer. The pair have been protesting the Israeli presence in the West Bank for over a decade.
She told the Congress: 'Let's not keep rewriting the minutes of meetings and passing the bucket from one committee to the other, while football in Palestine is being erased. We need to act now.'
That urgency was lost on FIFA. The organisation's secretary general Mattias Grafström stepped in—not with a decision, but with delay. Instead of acting on the PFA's request to conclude the investigation into settlement clubs within a month, he deflected.
He said: 'The matter was discussed by the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee and the work of the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee remains ongoing, as does the investigation of the Disciplinary Committee.'
Shalabi and the PFA invoked articles 64 and 65 of the FIFA Statutes - territorial rules that prohibit member associations from organizing soccer on another member's land without permission. At the 2024 FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, they called for 'appropriate' sanctions against the Israel Football Association (IFA), citing 'unprecedented international human rights and humanitarian law violations.'
FIFA's response then was to commission a legal review by independent experts, but the assessment and decision were postponed to allow Israel to compete in the Olympic football tournament in Paris, France. The issue was remitted to the FIFA Governance Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC), but the committee has still not come to a resolution. Grafstrom added that the GACC has 'requested expert reporting, including on topics of territoriality, to support its work.'
FIFA has a history of kicking this can down the road. In 2017, the global governing body dismissed a report by South Africa's Tokyo Sexwale that laid out three actions to address the Israeli settlement clubs. None were taken.
Football in Gaza and the West Bank has all but collapsed. Yet amid the devastation, a few glimmers of hope remain—Palestine's U-20 national women's team recently won the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship, overcoming Jordan 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the final following a 1-1 draw.
'Even at the grimmest of times, you know, we still hold on to not not not to the hope, to the belief that someday we will get justice,' said Shalabi. 'If you don't have hope, then what's the point in anything?'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

FIFA's pitch to Club World Cup ticket buyers despite slow sales: Be part of soccer history
FIFA's pitch to Club World Cup ticket buyers despite slow sales: Be part of soccer history

USA Today

time38 minutes ago

  • USA Today

FIFA's pitch to Club World Cup ticket buyers despite slow sales: Be part of soccer history

FIFA's pitch to Club World Cup ticket buyers despite slow sales: Be part of soccer history Show Caption Hide Caption Why Real Madrid is heavy favorite to win FIFA Club World Cup Safid Deen and Seth Vertelney explain why Real Madrid look like a safe bet to hoist the FIFA Club World Cup trophy when all is said and done. Sports Seriously CORAL GABLES, FL — FIFA president Gianni Infantino believes the Club World Cup opener with Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Egpytian side Al Ahly at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, June 14 will be 'full' and 'packed' with fans. Infantino didn't quite say sell out. But he's taking news of slow ticket sales in stride. Although ticket sales have not met FIFA's expectations in the final week before the new tournament begins, Infantino thinks soccer fans in the United States should take advantage of the opportunity to watch 32 of the best soccer club teams in the world in the 11 cities where matches will be played this summer. 'I think this is the important element that people have to really capture now – be part of history,' Infantino said during a Club World Cup event at FIFA's headquarters near Miami on May 10. 'Football is such an important sport all over the world. We'll have billions of people watching this Club World Cup from home, who would love to come and to attend. And we'll have millions who are here, and who will be able to be part of this very first FIFA Club World Cup, which will enter into history. So, I think it's great.' Some Club World Cup ticket prices have been lowered significantly thanks to dynamic pricing – a mechanism used to lower or raise ticket prices based on demand. The cheapest tickets to half of the Club World Cup group stage matches (24 of 48) are under $36 all-in with fees before taxes. FIFA has a $2 billion revenue target it expects to generate from the Club World Cup – which includes $1 billion already paid by DAZN to live stream all 63 matches for free on their website and app, and another $500 million in marketing rights. The other $500 million will come from hospitality rights and ticket sales. Along with the $1 billion prize pool that will be paid by FIFA and divided among the 32 Club World Cup teams, FIFA is targeting to make $250 million in solidarity payments to other clubs and leagues around the world to further the game. FIFA also plans to pay each host city $1 million to support community soccer projects in the future. When FIFA announced its unprecedented prize pool for the Club World Cup in March, it also said it will not retain any profits from the tournament. While previous editions of the Club World Cup predominantly featured seven teams, FIFA hopes the expanded 2025 Club World Cup sets a new standard for club soccer globally and can become a tournament held every four years one year before World Cups. 'As for every new venture that anyone tries to create in the world, there are always discussions that you never really know what will happen. … For us, the important element is to fill the stadiums, to give opportunities to people to come,' Infantino said. 'We were lucky enough – and this is also something that we did not expect in that measure – that we got great attention from sponsors and brokers broadcasters so that when it comes to revenues, everything is perfectly secured.' The Club World Cup will host matches in Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Nashville, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington D.C. The final is July 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Wednesday marks one year until the next World Cup begins on June 11, 2026. That event will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.

Moving Whitecaps from Vancouver would be ‘a crime': FIFA vice president
Moving Whitecaps from Vancouver would be ‘a crime': FIFA vice president

Hamilton Spectator

timean hour ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

Moving Whitecaps from Vancouver would be ‘a crime': FIFA vice president

VANCOUVER - A vice president of soccer's global governing body says moving the Vancouver Whitecaps would be 'a crime' and negatively impact the city's reputation after it hosts games at next year's World Cup. FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani spoke at a Vancouver Board of Trade event Tuesday, telling the crowd that relocating the Major League Soccer club would suggest to the world that the city simply wanted to host a party and isn't actually serious about the sport. 'You don't want to come out of the World Cup and your professional football club is playing in Sacramento,' said Montagliani, who is also the president of CONCACAF, soccer's governing body in North and Central America and the Caribbean. 'That would be a bruise on the city.' The Whitecaps announced in December that the current ownership group — Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett and former NBA star Steve Nash — had put the team up for sale. Speculation has since been rife that an out-of-town buyer will purchase the club and move it out of Vancouver. In April, the Whitecaps revealed that they are in talks with the City of Vancouver about building a new, soccer-specific stadium in the city. Club chief executive officer Axel Schuster said at the time that those plans are intrinsically tied to the sale of the team. 'We are only working on one plan, one goal, and this is to keep the club in Vancouver and to find a very good setup for the future for this club in Vancouver,' he said. 'And part of all of this is to look in every possible option that might be needed to do this successfully.' Keeping the Whitecaps in Vancouver is key to continuing the city's love and support for soccer, Montagliani said on Tuesday. 'It is going to be a party — trust me. But it can't just be about a party,' he said. 'It's got to be about the youth. It's got to be about the game itself. And it's got to be about the continuation of the game.' He noted that Canada had to create its own league, the Canadian Premier League, in order to be eligible to bid for the 2026 World Cup. Losing one of the country's biggest teams would be a step backward, he said. 'To lose an MLS club on the back of the World Cup would be a capital crime, in my opinion,' he said. Montagliani is in his hometown of Vancouver to mark the one-year countdown to the tournament's kick off on June 11, 2026, when the first games will be played in Mexico City and Guadalajara. The final is set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Vancouver and Toronto are among 16 host cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico. Vancouver will host seven matches across the tournament, starting on June 13, 2026, including five in the opening round, one in the round of 32 and one in the round of 16. Organizers in B.C. said in April 2024 that it will cost between $483 million and $581 million for Vancouver to host the tournament. That number includes costs to the city, the province and upgrades to B.C. Place. Renovations are currently underway at the 54,500-seat stadium, including new and upgraded suites, more and larger elevators, gender-neutral bathrooms, improved Wi-Fi and a new central video board. A natural grass pitch will also be installed. The B.C. government has said it expects the World Cup will generate enough revenue to result in a net cost of between $100 million and $145 million. Vancouver and Canada as a whole have a unique chance to create something special with the World Cup, Montagliani said. 'For me, it's an opportunity of a lifetime for Canada,' he said. 'Maybe this has done us a favour, in terms of what's going on (with U.S.-Canada relations), in terms of our Canadiana. I really think it's an opportunity for us to take a global game and make it ours.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.

Israel deports Greta Thunberg after Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized
Israel deports Greta Thunberg after Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized

Chicago Tribune

time2 hours ago

  • Chicago Tribune

Israel deports Greta Thunberg after Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized

JERUSALEM — Israel deported activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized by the Israeli military. Speaking upon arrival in Paris en route to her home country of Sweden, Thunberg called for the release of the other activists who were detained aboard the Madleen. She described a 'quite chaotic and uncertain' situation during the detention. The conditions they faced 'are absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine and especially Gaza right now,' she said. The trip was meant to protest Israeli restrictions on aid to Gaza's population of over 2 million people after 20 months of war, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group behind the journey. 'We were well aware of the risks of this mission,' Thunberg said. 'The aim was to get to Gaza and to be able to distribute the aid.' She said the activists would continue trying to get aid to Gaza. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump called Thunberg 'a young angry person' and recommended she take anger management classes. 'I think the world need a lot more young angry women,' Thunberg said Tuesday in response. Thunberg said it appeared she was headed back to Sweden, hadn't had access to a phone in a few days and wanted a shower. The activists were held separately and some had trouble accessing lawyers, she added. Asked why she agreed to deportation, she said, 'Why would I want to stay in an Israeli prison more than necessary?' Thunberg called on supporters to ask their governments 'to demand not only humanitarian aid being let into Gaza but most importantly an end to the occupation and an end to the systemic oppression and violence that Palestinians are facing on an everyday basis.' She said recognizing Palestine is 'the very, very, very minimum' that governments can do to help. Thunberg was one of 12 passengers on the Madleen. Israeli naval forces seized the boat without incident early Monday about 200 kilometers (125 miles) off Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, along with rights groups, said Israel's actions in international waters were a violation of international law. Israel rejects that charge, saying such ships intend to breach what it argues is a lawful naval blockade of Gaza. Israel viewed the ship as a publicity stunt, calling it the 'selfie yacht' with a 'meager' amount of aid that amounted to less than a truckload. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said three activists, including Thunberg, had been deported along with a journalist. It said it had encouraged some to do it so they could speak freely about their experiences. 'Their detention is unlawful, politically motivated and a direct violation of international law,' the coalition said in a statement. Eight other passengers refused deportation and are being detained at Givon prison in Ramle. On Tuesday, Israeli authorities heard their cases at a detention tribunal. 'We argued today, and that also was emphasized by all the activists, that their goal is to enter humanitarian aid to Gaza, to end the famine and to end a genocide in Gaza,' said Lubna Tuma, a lawyer with legal rights group Adalah, who is representing the activists. 'Any violation or any prohibition to entering the humanitarian aid to Gaza is deepening the complicity of Israel in the famine in Gaza.' Legal representatives for the group said that because Israeli seized their vessel in international waters and forcibly transported them to Israeli territory, Israel had no authority to detain or deport them. Sabine Haddad, a spokeswoman for Israel's Interior Ministry, said the activists who were being deported Tuesday had waived their right to appear before a judge. The others have a hearing with the judge and will be held for 96 hours before being deported, she said. Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was among the passengers. She has previously been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. It was not clear whether she was being immediately deported or detained. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said one of the detained French activists signed an expulsion order and would leave Tuesday. The other five refused. He said all the activists received consular visits. Sergio Toribio, a Spanish activist, slammed Israel's actions after he arrived in Barcelona. 'It is unforgivable, it is a violation of our rights. It is a pirate attack in international waters,' he told reporters. Palestinians in Gaza are now almost completely dependent on international aid. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza's Palestinian population. During the 20-month-long war in Gaza, Israel has restricted and sometimes blocked all aid into the territory, including food, fuel and medicine. Experts say that policy has pushed Gaza toward famine. Israel asserts that Hamas siphons off the aid to bolster its rule. Hamas killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war and took 251 hostages, most released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas still holds 55 hostages, more than half believed to be dead. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants but has said women and children make up most of the dead. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of the territory's population.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store