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Palestinian soccer chief's bid for FIFA to sanction ‎Israel backfires

by  Ariel Kahana , Gideon Allon and Israel Hayom Staff
Published on  06-14-2018 00:00
Last modified: 12-23-2019 11:35
Palestinian soccer chief's bid for FIFA to sanction ‎Israel backfires

Palestinian Football Association chief Jibril Rajoub ‎

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Soccer's world governing body on Wednesday ‎rejected a demand presented by Palestinian Football Association ‎President Jibril Rajoub to impose sanctions on and ‎‎suspend countries that "violate citizens' ‎rights.‎"‎

The bid, which clearly targeted Israel, was struck down ‎by the 68th FIFA Congress by a majority vote of ‎‎82% to ‎‎18%. The congress said similar regulations ‎‎already exist in the FIFA charter, making the ‎Palestinian bid unnecessary.‎

The move backfired further when Rajoub, a virulent ‎critic of Israel who has tried to convince FIFA to ‎sanction or suspend Israel multiple times, was informed ‎that FIFA has decided to launch disciplinary ‎proceedings ‎against him over his verbal incitement ‎against Israel before the final World Cup warm-up ‎match game with Argentina.

Rajoub called on ‎fans to burn ‎shirts carrying the number of team ‎captain Lionel Messi if he played in Israel and ‎compared modern ‎Israel to Nazi Germany.‎

Argentina eventually canceled the match, citing ‎threats against the players scheduled to arrive in ‎Israel. The Israeli Football ‎Association has requested that FIFA investigate the ‎reasons behind the cancellation, saying it was the ‎work of the boycott, divestment and sanctions ‎movement. ‎

‎"This is a recurring ritual in which Rajoub attempts ‎to lead FIFA decisions against our [teams] and ‎against the State of Israel," IFA chief Ofer Eini said.‎

‎"Thanks to proper and thoughtful work, we succeeded ‎in explaining to FIFA members what the motivating ‎factors behind these apparently innocent suggestions ‎are, and that the person suggesting them has crossed ‎every possible line.‎

‎"We have a true friend in FIFA, which is why Rajoub ‎fails time and again. Israeli soccer will ‎continue to be part of the international community, ‎and Israel will continue to enjoy support in the ‎world football association."‎

Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev said, "There ‎is no room there [in FIFA] for terrorists, who use ‎their positions as a political tool and try to ‎delegitimize Israel. I hope that at the end of this ‎disciplinary proceeding, FIFA will send Rajoub ‎home." ‎

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