UEFA rejects meeting on expelling Israel

The European soccer body resists a push to vote amid a Gaza war backlash.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has rejected calls to hold an emergency vote on expelling Israel, Ynet reported Monday.

It told the heads of Israel’s soccer federation no emergency meeting was planned and that one probably would not be held regarding the status of Israeli football in the international arena.

The possibility of an unscheduled meeting of the 20-member executive committee had been reported Thursday.

British newspaper The Times reported that a majority of European countries favored a ban.

According to The Times, the idea originated after several teams asked UEFA last month to find a way for them to avoid playing Maccabi Tel Aviv, the only Israeli team left in the Europa League.

After a recent United Nations report accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza — a claim Jerusalem has strongly denied — some UN advisers called for a blanket sports ban on Israeli teams.

The Palestinians have long pressed for Israel’s expulsion from sports competitions.

They have focused much of their efforts on FIFA, the world body governing soccer, the most popular sport in Israel.

FIFA has also faced pressure this year to suspend Israel even before it could qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which requires several victories in the European league.

The U.S., one of the Cup hosts, has already said that it would “absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup,” according to a State Department statement.

So far, there is no indication that FIFA plans such a move, with Ynet reporting that the issue of expelling the Israeli team was not even raised for discussion.

FIFA President Gianni Infantin has said that it was hard to sanction countries, noting that 80 conflicts are ongoing worldwide.

Russia remains an exception, having been suspended since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Officials pushing for Israel’s expulsion cite that move as precedent.

Israeli officials counter that Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 men, women and children, and has vowed to commit similar atrocities “again and again.”

They argue that Israel, like any government, has a duty to defend its citizens.

Israel has reportedly been lobbying hard against any kind of ban.

Its representative on UEFA’s executive committee, Moshe Zuares, is backed by allies including members from the Czech Republic and Albania.