Israeli Involvement Not on FIFA Schedule
The Israeli team are due to compete against Norway and the Italian side in the month of October.
- Published
The Israeli participation in football has not been included on the program for a Fifa council meeting in the Swiss city on this Thursday.
The meeting of FIFA's main decision-making body comes amidst mounting demands on sports officials to take action against the Israeli state following a UN investigative panel determined recently that Israeli forces has perpetrated acts of genocide upon Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Although the matter is not on the agenda, it may be addressed under 'miscellaneous'.
Israel's national team are actively involved in continental qualifying matches for this summer's global football championship, whereas the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv are playing in the European competition.
Increasing Pressure for Measures
Amnesty International has joined other organizations to call on Fifa, which runs the global tournament, and UEFA, which oversees UEFA events, to exclude the Israeli soccer federation from international events.
Fifa vice-president the FIFA official commented that Uefa ought to take the judgment.
"Primarily, [The Israeli federation] belongs to UEFA, just like I handle a affiliate of my region for whatever reason. They must address that," he stated.
World Cup Qualifying Standings
Israel hold third place in their qualification group - organised by Uefa - half a dozen points trailing group leaders Norway.
The first-place finisher from each group qualify automatically for the tournament, with the silver medalists entering the knockout rounds.
The 2026 World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexican federation and Canadian organizers.
Worldwide Positions
The UN report stated there were substantial basis to conclude that several crimes against humanity outlined in global statutes had been carried out after the commencement of the hostilities in last year.
A panel of rights specialists at the UN later requested FIFA and Uefa to ban Israel's national team from world soccer, commenting: "Sports must refuse the notion that it is standard procedure."
Israeli officials has regularly denied that their measures in Gaza amount to acts of genocide and says they are warranted as a method of self-defence.
Simultaneously, athletic company Reebok said reports that it demanded the IFA to take off their branding from player jerseys are "simply not true".
"Subsequent to talks between IFA president Moshe Zuares, the company and the territorial licensee, the company changed its position to end its contract with Israel national teams, and the teams' uniforms in international matches will feature the brand's emblem as it has been until now," read an organization's release.
A representative for the brand said it "is proud of our history as a connector of various communities on and off the court".
The spokesperson continued: "We intend to persist to honor our company's and our local licensee's commitment to the IFA. We avoid political matters; we focus on sports."