Twelve Middle Eastern football associations have called for Israel’s national team to be banned from all football-related activities over the war on Hamas in Gaza, in a letter seen by CNN.
The letter, which was sent on January 31 to FIFA, the world governing body of football, all 211 national member associations and the six regional confederations, including European governing body UEFA, urged the global football community to take a “decisive stand” against Israel’s actions and to isolate the Israeli Football Association (IFA) until the “atrocities” and the “war crimes” in Gaza cease.
The letter was signed by the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), which represents 12 football associations in the region, including Jordan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The WAFF is led by Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, the half-brother of Jordan’s King Abdullah II and a former FIFA vice president and presidential candidate.
The letter cited the recent rulings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered Israel to prevent genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and to respect their rights to self-determination and sovereignty, as well as the reports by the UN and other human rights organizations, which documented the violations and abuses committed by Israel in Gaza, such as the killing of civilians, the destruction of infrastructure, and the displacement of people.
The letter also referred to the impact of the war on the football community in Gaza, where several players, coaches, referees and officials have been killed, injured or detained by Israel, and where the football infrastructure, such as stadiums, clubs and academies, have been damaged or demolished by Israel.
The letter said that the war in Gaza, which started on October 7, when Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, launched a surprise attack on Israel with rockets and tunnels, and which has continued despite several attempts to broker a ceasefire, was “not only a humanitarian disaster, but a strategic blunder” that would only strengthen Hamas and weaken the moderate Palestinian factions, such as the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank.
The letter said that the war in Gaza was also “not in the best interests of Israel, the United States, or the region”, and that it would only undermine the prospects of peace and stability in the region, and the chances of a two-state solution, which would end the conflict and create an independent and viable Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Violating the International Laws
The letter said that the war in Gaza was also “in violation of international law and human rights norms”, and that the United States, as Israel’s main ally and supporter, should not be “complicit in those actions”.
The letter said that FIFA, as the guardian and the promoter of football, had a moral and a legal obligation to uphold the values and the principles of the sport, such as fair play, respect, and solidarity, and to protect the rights and the interests of the football family, especially the players, who are the main victims of the war.
The letter said that FIFA should follow the example of other international sports organizations, such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), which have suspended or banned countries that have violated the rules and the ethics of their respective sports, such as Russia, which was banned from the Olympics and the Paralympics over its state-sponsored doping program, and South Africa, which was banned from the Olympics and other sports events over its apartheid regime.
The letter said that FIFA should apply the same standards and sanctions to Israel, and that it should ban the IFA from all football-related activities, such as participating in or hosting competitions, tournaments, or matches, until Israel stops its war in Gaza and complies with the international law and human rights.
The letter said that such a ban would send a strong and clear message to Israel and to the world, that football does not tolerate or condone violence, injustice, or oppression, and that football stands with the oppressed and the suffering people of Gaza, and with the Palestinian cause.
The letter said that such a ban would also encourage and support the efforts of the international community, especially the US and the UN, to end the war in Gaza and to resume the peace process and the two-state solution, which are the only viable and sustainable ways to resolve the conflict and to achieve lasting security and stability in the region.
The letter said that such a ban would also reflect and respect the views and the wishes of the majority of the football fans and players around the world, who have expressed their solidarity and sympathy with the people of Gaza, and who have called for an end to the war and for a boycott of Israel.
The letter concluded by appealing to FIFA, the football confederations, and the national associations, to join the WAFF in taking a “decisive stand” against Israel, and to act swiftly and firmly to ban the IFA from all football-related activities, until the war in Gaza ends and the peace in the region prevails.
CNN has reached out to FIFA, UEFA and the IFA for comment, but has not received a response at the time of publication.
