Israel accuses Palestinians of politicizing in FIFA call
Palestinians try to give Israeli Football Association a 'red card' over players' restricted movement
Israel’s soccer association said Tuesday that Palestinian soccer officials are “injecting politics into sports” by calling on FIFA to suspend the Jewish state from world football.
The Palestinian proposal features in FIFA’s published agenda for its election congress on May 29.
Ofer Eini, president of Israel’s FA, said Tuesday it has done its best to assist Palestinian soccer, but that many issues were beyond its control and needed to be resolved at a political level.
He said the Palestinian proposal “is completely contrary to FIFA’s vision” and could set a dangerous precedent for other countries involved in conflicts.
The Palestinians say Israel restricts movement of players in the West Bank and Gaza. Israel has cited security concerns, especially regarding movement in and out of Gaza, ruled by the terror group Hamas.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.