FIFA to vote on Israel ban

The Palestinian motion to suspend Israel from the international football association will be debated at the end of May, but it seems unlikely to succeed.

By: AP And World Israel News Staff

Will FIFA, the international football association, suspend Israel from its ranks?

A move to consider banning Israel from world football will be put to FIFA’s 209-member federation just before they elect their new president this month.

FIFA published an agenda on Monday for its election congress on May 29, including a late proposal by Palestinian football officials to suspend Israel.

It seems unlikely to succeed. FIFA President Sepp Blatter said last month that he opposed the move, which would require a three-quarter majority in order to pass.

Palestinian officials insist Israel’s football federation should be punished for alleged restrictions imposed by security forces that limit movement of players, opposing teams and equipment.

Earlier, in Zurich, Blatter — who met several times in recent weeks with Palestinian football leader and former terrorist Jibril Rajoub — is scheduled to provide an update on his mediation between the Palestinian and Israeli teams. Talks began in 2013.

Blatter said ahead of meeting Rajoub in Cairo last month that suspending a member “is always something which harms the whole organization.”

FIFA suspensions prevent a member’s national and club teams from taking part in international matches and meetings, and they block FIFA funding.

The FIFA election is the final main item of business on the annual congress agenda.

Blatter, 79, is strongly favored to win and extend his 17-year presidential reign.

Palestinian Football Head is a Terrorist

Palestinian Football Association (PFA) President Rajoub, a terrorist released from Israeli prison in exchange for hostages, is leading an international campaign against Israel, which is part of broader Palestinian Authority (PA) crusade to assault Israel at international forums and to delegitimize and isolate the country.

Rajoub has opposed any attempts at peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and especially in the realm of sports.

When Palestinian and Israeli boys met in southern Israel for a football match in September, Rajoub stated:  “Any activity of normalization in sports with the Zionist enemy is a crime against humanity.”

In February 2014, Rajoub affirmed that the PA’s ruling Fatah party, of which he is a member, has not abandoned the option of “armed resistance.”

“The confrontation would be on three fronts: launching and escalating resistance; boycotting and isolating Israel; and halting all forms of normalization [with Israel] on the political, academic, trade and economic levels,” Rajoub declared.

In 2013, he called for a nuclear holocaust in Israel, saying, “We as yet don’t have a nuke, but I swear that if we had a nuke, we’d have used it this very morning.”