International football has been a bit less quiet lately, and the Palestinian Football Federation, in the context of the war in Gaza, has made a major appeal to FIFA - they want to suspend the Israeli Football Association.
The proposal was endorsed by the Jordanian Football Federation at the FIFA General Assembly in Bangkok last Friday. Now, the FIFA bigwigs have to sit down and take stock of the issue.
This entanglement between football and politics can be said to be quite complicated. Speaking emotionally at the conference, the president of the Palestinian Football Federation, Jibril Rajub, asked FIFA how much more suffering Palestinian football has to endure, and does FIFA consider some wars more important than others? He called on FIFA to be on the right side of history, because the suffering suffered by millions of people, including thousands of footballers, should not be ignored.
The president of the Israeli Football Association, Shino Mosh Suarez, said they were facing politically motivated attacks by the Palestinian Football Federation. He mentioned that the war in Gaza has made it impossible to play football matches in northern and southern Israel, and that more than 130 Israelis are being held in prison who are now fighting for their basic right to participate in the game.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was also very clear on the matter, saying that football should not be a victim of politics, but should be a symbol of peace, hope, kindness and unity. He stressed that a legal assessment of the accusations of the Palestinian Football Federation will be carried out and an extraordinary congress will be held at the end of July to resolve the issue. Infantino also mentioned that the evaluation will take into account the views and claims of the two associations, and that the results and recommendations will be presented to the FIFA Council.
It's a decision about football, but it's about humanity and justice. This legal assessment by FIFA will affect the hearts of countless people. The tragedy of the war in Gaza has caused so much suffering and loss, and football, as a global sport, its spirit and values are particularly important at this time, and it should not be linked to politics. It is expected that FIFA will be able to make a fair decision to return football to its essence and become a bridge connecting different countries and peoples, rather than a tool for division and confrontation.
In this controversial moment, it is even more important to remember the original intention of football - it is a sport, an art, and a bridge. FIFA's decisions will affect the future of football in both countries, as well as those who love football and want peace.