LONDON: Amnesty International urged FIFA and the Union of European Football Associations to suspend the Israeli Football Association until the latter excludes settlers’ clubs in the occupied West Bank from competing in the Israeli leagues.
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Agnes Callamard, the secretary-general of Amnesty International, called on Wednesday for the suspension of the IFA as Israeli forces “continue to perpetrate genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip” since late 2023.
The Israeli national team is currently competing in the European qualifiers against Norway and Italy for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the US next summer. Additionally, the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv is participating in the Europa League.
UN officials and figures from the football world have increased pressure in September on FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel from international football tournaments, describing it “as a necessary response to address the ongoing genocide in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
