05/17/24 01:11:00
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05/16 23:55 CDT FIFA to seek legal advice on a Palestinian proposal to suspend
Israel from international soccer
FIFA to seek legal advice on a Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel from
international soccer
BANGKOK (AP) --- FIFA will seek independent legal advice before holding an
extraordinary council meeting by July 25 to make a decision on a Palestinian
proposal to suspend Israel from international soccer because of the conflict
with Hamas.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino outlined the plan at the FIFA congress on
Friday after representatives of the Palestinian and Israel football federations
had a chance to speak in front of the 211 member associations.
"FIFA will mandate as of now, independent legal expertise to analyze the three
requests (from the Palestinian FA) and ensure the statutes of FIFA are applied
in the right way," Infantino said. "This legal assessment will have to allow
for inputs and claims of both member associations. The results and the
recommendations ... will be forwarded to the FIFA council.
"Due to the urgency of the situation, an extraordinary FIFA Council will be
convened and will take place before July 25 to review the results of the legal
assessment and to take the decisions that are appropriate."
The Palestine Football Association proposal to 211 member federations called
for "appropriate sanctions, with immediate effect, against Israeli teams,"
according to FIFA documents released a month before the congress and council
meeting sin Bangkok.
The motion noted "international law violations committed by the Israeli
occupation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza" and cited FIFA statutory
commitments on human rights and against discrimination.
The Palestinian FA wrote that "all the football infrastructure in Gaza has been
either destroyed, or seriously damaged, including the historic stadium of
Al-Yarmuk" and said it had support for the motion from the federations of
Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Yemen.
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