Protestors unfurled a giant banner near a Toronto stadium before Canada’s match against Bosnia, accusing FIFA of double standards over Israel; Palestinian soccer chief Jibril Rajoub says the US denied him a visa to attend official World Cup eventsynet| Related TopicsPro-Palestinian protestors staged a protest near a stadium and a major highway in Toronto on Friday, hours before Canada faced Bosnia, unfurling a giant banner calling to “kick Israel out of FIFA” on the first day of World Cup matches on Canadian soil.The activists said the banner was meant to send what they described as “a visual message that cannot be missed” to FIFA officials and the wider public.1 View gallery The anti-Israel protest in Toronto (Photo: Kyaw Soe Oo/ Reuters)The protesters accused FIFA of applying a double standard in its handling of international conflicts. “FIFA’s constitution prohibits countries from holding matches on occupied territory without approval. FIFA is violating its own constitution by doing so, taking a political position and whitewashing Israel’s crimes through the broadcast of matches,” they said in a statement.They also cited FIFA’s swift decision to suspend Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, arguing that the organization has avoided taking similar action against Israel despite the war in Gaza and the conflict with Iran.The protest focused mainly on Israel and FIFA. “You cannot celebrate ‘fair play’ while Palestinian stadiums are being turned into military detention camps and hundreds of players, coaches and referees have been killed,” the protesters said.They added that FIFA had not responded to their appeals. “They simply ignored us completely. They have taken no meaningful action,” they said.In a separate matter, Palestinian Football Association chief Jibril Rajoub said the United States refused to grant him an entry visa, preventing him from attending official World Cup events. Rajoub is currently in Mexico City but said he had not received permission to enter the U.S., one of the tournament’s three host countries.“I do not believe it is fair to use football, or abuse it, to deny football players around the world their right to come and participate,” Rajoub said.His remarks came several weeks after he refused to shake hands with acting Israel Football Association chairman Bassem Suliman during a FIFA congress.Comments