12 Nations Urge FIFA to Ban Israeli Team for Gaza Killings
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Several national football federations in the West Asia have jointly submitted a letter to FIFA, urging the world football governing body to suspend the Israeli football team from international tournaments.
According to Sky Sports, "A group of the Middle East's football associations has asked world football chiefs to ban Israel” over the war in Gaza and inhumane killing of civilians in the besieged enclave.
The letter was signed by officials representing the football associations of 12 countries from West Asia, including Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Israeli Football Association CEO Niv Goldstein told Sky News that FIFA should refrain from mixing politics with sports.
"I am trusting FIFA not to involve politics in football," the British broadcaster quoted Goldstein as saying.
This came as FIFA decided in February 2022 to ban all Russian teams, whether national representative or club teams, from competing in its competitions until further notice, citing the situation in Ukraine as the reason for the decision. However, in early October 2023, it lifted the blanket ban on Russian football teams participating in international events.
The Israeli campaign in Gaza, which began on October 7, following a retaliatory attack by Palestinian resistance groups, has resulted in a significant death toll, with thousands killed and wounded. The Zionist regime has also been carrying out strikes on targets in the Strip and certain areas of Lebanon and Syria.
On December 1, the Israeli army resumed combat operations in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians held the US responsible for the renewed Israeli aggression.
