FIFA: Suspend Apartheid Israel
Watch the webinar here! Featuring Roger Waters, musician and activist, FOSNA ED Jonathan Kuttab, Gonzalo Boye, recent council for the Palestinian Football Association, and Rizek Salah of the Palestinian Khader Football Club.
Spanish Translation
Arabic Translation
Write a Letter and Demand Action!
Tell FIFA: Suspend Apartheid Israel!
Take the next step in our FIFA: Suspend Apartheid Israel campaign by demanding action from FIFA leadership. Israel has violated the principles of FIFA in a variety of ways that would normally warrant disciplinary actions and even a suspension of its membership. However, the politics of FIFA have prevented the organization in the past from taking such action. Consequently, it is now the responsibility of civil society to apply the popular pressure necessary to bring this about. Use our template linked to below and tell FIFA: Suspend Apartheid Israel!
Statement of Principles:
Both Israel and the State of Palestine are members of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and subject to its internal regulations.
Israel has violated the principles of FIFA in a variety of ways that would normally warrant disciplinary actions and even a suspension of its membership. However, the politics of FIFA have prevented the organization in the past from taking such action. Its internal by-laws have even been amended to make it more difficult for the Palestine Football Association (PFA) to demand such action. Consequently, it is now the responsibility of civil society to apply the popular pressure necessary to bring this about.
In the past, it has also been the policy of FIFA to punish any raising of Palestinian flags by players and clubs who are not Palestinian, on the basis that “politics and sports should not mix.”
Our objections include:
The Israeli Football Association (IFA) allows players, and even five clubs from the illegal Israeli settlements (legally under the jurisdiction of Palestine), to play in their national league without first obtaining permission from the Palestinian Football Association (PFA). This is a straightforward violation of FIFA regulations that must be addressed.
Israel, by means of its military administration and control of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has taken a number of measures that harm the sport of football, including:
International travel restrictions on Palestinian players and coaches
Restricting the movement of football players between Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem
Refusal to allow the building of stadiums and facilities in Area C of the West Bank, the only viable location for such facilities
Failing to release Palestinian sports equipment from Israeli customs, as Israel controls all borders
Administrative arrests of footballers and attacks upon, including the tear-gassing of, sports events
Finally, we object to the prevalence of blatantly racist sloganeering (“Death to Arabs”) and anti-Arab violence associated with IFA games. This runs counter to FIFA’s stated goal of confronting racism.
Our demand is simple:
FIFA must sanction the Israeli Football Association until the above objections have been resolved.
Endorse & Share:
60+ organizations around the world & several hundred athletes, artists, academics & activists have already said, "FIFA, Suspend Apartheid Israel!" Join them in signing the declaration below. Read the full statement to FIFA, available also in Spanish, French, Arabic), and sign on below as an individual and/or on behalf of an organization.