FIFA to monitor Israeli violations against Palestinian football team

The FIFA Congress decided on June 11 to form a neutral committee to monitor Israeli violations against the Palestinian football team, Deputy Director of International Relations at the Palestinian Federation of Football Muna Dabdoub said in an exclusive interview with the Anadolu news agency.

Dabdoub pointed out that President of the Union of European Football Associations Michel Platini decided to form a special committee to monitor Israeli violations against the Palestinian football team.

The committee will submit its report during FIFA’s executive committee meeting in December.

Dabdoub said: “Sports should not be governed by political disputes. The Palestinians have the right to play football in peace and freedom, especially since the Palestinian territories are often viewed as a place of war and fighting. Therefore football is a means to show the other face of Palestine and that the Palestinians, like others, love football and want to live in peace.”

She noted that the Palestinian delegation “demanded FIFA press the Israeli Union to call on the Israeli government to abide by FIFA’s laws and the International Olympic Charter.”

The Palestinians demanded players’ movement within the Palestinian territories including the West Bank and Gaza Strip be eased as well as the entry of sports equipment and foreign teams and for sports facilities in Palestine to be respected.

The Palestinian football team won the Asia Challenge Cup in May and qualified to play during the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia in January.