Issam Khalidi
Fédération
Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, is the international
self-regulatory governing body of football. As an entity, it possesses the
absolute authority to make decisions and take positions independently of many
of the countries that support and back the state of Israel. Its positions,
however, are the same as those of the hypocritical West, who apply double
standards to the Palestinian cause and the Gaza genocidal war.
A Palestinian Football Association proposal was submitted to FIFA Congress last May. It called for Israel to be held accountable for violations of Palestinian sports rights and to be expelled from FIFA for its actions. As a result of this decision, FIFA has rejected the Palestinian Football Association's request for an immediate vote on the topic of expelling Israel, on the grounds that an independent legal assessment of the Palestinian Football Association's proposal would have to take place, and that the FIFA Council will review that assessment in July 2024. There have been several times when the FIFA Council meeting has been postponed until October 3, 2024.
In relation to the proposal submitted by the
Palestine Football Association regarding the Israel Football Association from
FIFA at the 74th FIFA Congress, the FIFA Council adopted the
following recommendations and conclusions reached in the independent legal
analyses mandated by FIFA: [1]
· The
FIFA Disciplinary Committee will be mandated to initiate an investigation into
the alleged offence of discrimination raised by the Palestine Football
Association.
· The
FIFA Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee will be entrusted with the
mission to investigate – and subsequently advise the FIFA Council on – the
participation in Israeli competitions of Israeli football teams allegedly based
in the territory of Palestine.
“The FIFA Council
has implemented due diligence on this very sensitive matter and based on a
thorough assessment, we have followed the advice of the independent experts,”
said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “The ongoing violence in the region
confirms that, above all considerations, and as stated at the 75th
FIFA Congress, we need peace. As we remain extremely shocked by what is
happening, and our thoughts are with those who are suffering, we urge all
parties to restore peace to the region with immediate effect.” [2]
Despite the fact that hundreds of violations have been committed against Palestinians and their sports, it is evident that the International Football Federation FIFA does not believe there is an occupation in Palestine or racial discrimination against Palestinians and their sports. Therefore, FIFA describes the Palestinian Federation's lawsuit as an ‘alleged’ offence of discrimination. It should be noted that the term "alleged" refers to a claim or assertion that someone has done something illegal or wrong, usually without any evidence that this has been the case. In addition, it refers to Israeli football teams' participation that is 'allegedly' based in the Palestinian territories, as if it was not certain or not sure whether these clubs are located in the Israeli settlements in the occupied territories or not.
Several
questions can be raised in regard to Infantino's statement. Violence in
Palestine is primarily caused by the brutal practices of the occupation, which
are at the core of most of the violence that occurs there. It is well known and self-evident that violence does
not lead to occupation; rather, it is occupation that generates violence and is
one of the primary causes of violence in the first place.
Over 410 martyrs
from the sports and scouting movements have been killed since the war began
last October. The Palestinian Football Federation indicated in August 2024 that
297 child and youth footballers have been martyred since 7 October 2023.[3] According
to the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports in Gaza, material losses relating
to sports have reached twenty million dollars or more as a result of the
destruction of stadiums and various sports facilities.[4] Airstrikes,
artillery shelling, and the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip have destroyed an
estimated fifty clubs completely.
As FIFA
is shocked at what's happening, it reminds us of the Biden administration's support
for Israeli weapons. Additionally, this administration expressed concern about
the situation in Gaza, especially the mass killing of civilians there. It called
on Israel to open crossings and send more aid to those affected by Israeli
bombing.
As the highest
football governing body, FIFA is no different from the European Union. There is
one thing they both have in common: they shed tears in support of Israel and
remain silent about its crimes and genocide in Gaza, Palestine.
In spite of its concern about Palestinian suffering, FIFA remains silent and neutral. Ultimately, this unbiased position, which "sympathizes" with those who suffer, serves the occupation's interests. It’s a clear and indisputable fact that anyone who stands neutral in the fight between oppressors and the oppressed supports oppressors.
In the same way the West refuses to acknowledge and consider October 7th's context, FIFA refuses to acknowledge and consider the context as well. In his remarks, historian Ilan Pappe made the point that contextualizing events surrounding October 7th is extremely important.
Instead of FIFA calling on Israel to stop
its abusive practices and end its occupation of Palestinian territories, we see
it instead "urging" all parties to restore peace to the region. Essentially, this means that it compares
the victim with the executioner, and that is not a thing that is new to the
West.
We are reminded of the same approach the West
took decades ago in favor of colonizers regarding the Palestinian issue as we
observe Infantino's ambiguous approach to the conflict today. As a simple
matter of fact, it essentially denies the rights of the Palestinian people who
are the victims of Israeli occupation. Moreover, it equalizes them with their
oppressors.
Finally, we don't
expect anything from FIFA's procrastination. We can only expect negative
decisions that violate FIFA's basic principles under "legal" pretexts
that serve Israel's interests and reaffirm the double standard policy of the
West.
[2] Ibid.
[3]“al-Ittihad
al-Filastini li-kurat al-qadam yakshifu: 297 la‘iban istashhad mundhu bidayat
harb Ghazza” [The Palestinian football federation investigates: 297
players martyred since the start of the Gaza war], al-‘Arabi al-Jadid,
28 August 2024, online at www.alaraby.co.uk/sport/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%85-%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%B4%D9%81297-%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%AF-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B0-%D8%A8%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D8%BA%D8%B2%D8%A9(accessed
6 November 2024).
[4]“al-Riyada
al-Filastiniyya takhsaru
mi’at al-shuhada’ wa-l-jarhawamu’assasat al-riyadiyya” [Palestinian sports
suffer the loss of hundreds of martyrs, wounded, and sports institutions],Ma‘an,
4 March 2024, online at www.maannews.net/news/2113094.html (accessed 23 October
2024).
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