Israel fears FIFA red card, as Palestinians’ campaign gains momentum

In just over two weeks, the annual FIFA Congress will convene in Zurich. On the agenda – a “proposal by the Palestinian Football Association for the suspension of the Israel Football Association.” The Palestinian drive to get Israel shown the red card, supported by global solidarity activists, has been gathering momentum, and the Israeli government is worried.

According to a report today in Ha’aretz, Israel’s Foreign Ministry is “waging a worldwide campaign” aimed at thwarting the Palestinians’ initiative. Israel’s hasbara offensive has involved “talks with sports ministers and heads of soccer federations in more than 100 countries.”

As attempts to dissuade the Palestinians from pressing ahead, so Israel’s anxieties have increased. On Sunday, FIFA president Sepp Blatter met with the Israel Football Association (IFA)’s president Ofer Eini, and his counterpart in the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), Jibril Rajoub.

In a subsequent statement, Rajoub expressed his determination to “continue our path to suspend the Israeli Football Association”, and accusing the IFA of being unwilling “to recognize the PFA as a federation with equal rights and obligations.” Blatter now plans to “travel to Israel and Palestine to meet their respective FA Presidents and Heads of State ahead of the FIFA Congress.”

The PFA’s request for suspension is based on Israeli-imposed restrictions on freedom of movement and access under occupation, the participation in Israeli national championships of clubs located in illegal West Bank settlements, and anti-Arab racism amongst fans in Israeli stadiums.

For the proposal to pass, it would require the support of 75 percent of FIFA’s 209 member federations in a vote on May 29. Suspension would bar all of Israel’s teams from competing in international competitions.

Israel’s belated diplomatic offensive was kick-started on March 31, at a Ministry of Foreign Affairs-convened meeting with the IFA and military officials. After the meeting, “a classified message was sent to all Israeli ambassadors, calling for total mobilization”, with diplomats urged to “use their connections, and personal and professional skills in order to draw a line in the sand.”

The sense of panic has meant weekly government meetings “to review progress”, with “hundreds of diplomats at the ministry’s headquarters in Jerusalem and abroad” devoting time to the issue. On April 2, another classified message told Israeli diplomats “to meet with or talk by phone to government sports ministers and the respective heads of soccer federations.”

Israel’s PR messages are that the Palestinians are seeking to ‘politicise’ sport, as well as implicating Palestinian football players in ‘terrorism’, and attempts to smear Jibril Rajoub. Interestingly, Israel’s response has also included steps to address the Palestinians’ complaints, such as easing “as much as possible” the travel of players between Gaza and the West Bank.

FIFA has a history of suspending a number of members for various reasons, including South Africa in 1961, part of what became a widespread boycott of the apartheid regime until its collapse. Israel is now worried that suspension “could set a precedent that might encourage similar moves at other international organizations, accelerating the imposition of boycotts on Israel.”

With some in Israel describing the mere presence of the suspension request on the FIFA concgress agenda as “an unprecedented Palestinian victory”, it is clear that whatever the result in Zurich – and Israel is certainly pulling out all the stops in its fightback – moves to hold Israel to account for its occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands are gaining in frequency and prominence.

Note: This page was updated at 17.48 BST on May 13th 2015 to correct an incorrect statement about FIFA only suspending South Africa during the Apartheid era – they have in fact suspended a number of members.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.