Uefa has put plans for a vote on suspending Israel on hold to give a new peace plan announced by the US president Donald Trump a chance to work.
European football’s governing body had planned to hold an emergency meeting of its executive committee this week with a large majority of members understood to be in favour of a ban.
It is understood Israel’s FA and political leaders reacted with alarm after The Times broke the news last week of the planned Uefa action.
Eight Muslim and Arab nations have announced their backing for a new peace plan and Uefa chiefs believe now would not be the right time to implement a ban — though that threat is still there if Israel continues its actions in Gaza.
The eight countries — Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Indonesia and Turkey — said they would work with Trump after his “comprehensive proposal to end the war, rebuild Gaza, prevent the displacement of the Palestinian people, promote a comprehensive peace process, and his statement that no displacement from the West Bank would be permitted”.
