Palestine FA chief hits out at Israel federation VP at FIFA Congress
Palestinian Football Federation President Jibril Rajoub refused to stand alongside Israeli Football Federation Vice President Basim Sheikh Suliman in a heated moment at the 76th FIFA Congress.
Both men were called to the podium by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during Thursday’s event, but Rajoub refused to approach Suliman, a Palestinian citizen of Israel.
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Infantino put his hand on Rajoub’s arm and gestured for him to come closer to Suliman, but in vain.
Asked what Rajoub had said when he refused, Palestinian Federation Vice President Susan Shalabi, who was in the room, told Reuters: “I cannot shake hands with someone the Israelis brought in to whitewash their fascism and genocide! We are suffering.”
Israel has denied committing genocide in Gaza.
Infantino then took the stand and said: “We will work together, President Rajoub, Vice President Suliman. Let’s work together to give hope to children. These are complex issues.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino with Jibril Rajoub, President of the Palestinian Football Federation, during the congress [Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters]
Speaking to the Reuters news agency after the congress ended, Shalabi said Infantino’s attempt to get Suliman and Rajoub to shake hands showed little regard for the Palestinian Federation leader’s speech, in which he made a fresh appeal to Israeli clubs not to base their teams in West Bank settlements.
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“To be put in a position to have a handshake after everything that has been said, it negates the entire purpose of the speech that the general gave. [Rajoub] I was giving,” she said.
“He spent about 15 minutes trying to explain to everyone how important the rules are, how this could easily become a precedent where the rights of member associations are brazenly violated, and then we’ll sweep this under the rug. It was absurd.”
Last week, the Palestinian Football Federation (PFA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against FIFA’s decision not to sanction Israel against clubs based in West Bank settlements.
The PFA has long argued that clubs based in West Bank settlements – territory the Palestinians seek as part of a future state – should not compete in leagues run by the Israel Football Federation (IFA).
FIFA said “last month” that it would take no action against the IFA or Israeli clubs, citing the unresolved legal status of the West Bank under public international law.
