Palestinian soccer leaders expressed disappointment on Thursday after FIFA gave no clear timeline on two important investigations related to Israeli soccer clubs.
Two Investigations Pending
Last October, FIFA’s disciplinary body began looking into claims that the Israel Football Association practiced discrimination. At the same time, FIFA’s governance panel was asked to check if teams from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which compete in national leagues, are breaking FIFA’s rules.
Long-Standing Campaign for Action
The Palestinian soccer federation has been pushing FIFA to take action against these settlement clubs for over 15 years. They renewed their complaints last year, hoping for a stronger response.
Call for Urgent Action
Susan Shalabi, a Palestinian soccer official and member of the Asian Football Confederation’s executive committee, spoke passionately, urging FIFA to speed up the process.
“Let’s not wait another year. We need to act now,” Shalabi said. She demanded a clear update and an exact date for when the investigations would end.
She also requested FIFA set a one-month deadline for the governance panel to report back to the FIFA council led by president Gianni Infantino.
Shalabi highlighted the visible and undeniable issues faced by Palestinians in soccer, which she said have been sadly ignored. Her nine-minute speech received warm applause from those present.
