The ADC has called on the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), the world governing body for soccer, to reject an application by the president of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, to exclude the Israel Football Association from FIFA. In 2014, Rajoub called for the abduction of Israelis and said, “Fatah has decided that our relations with the Israelis are relations between enemies… am I stopping you from slaughtering a settlement? No one is stopping anyone”, adding “If we had nuclear weapons, we’d be using them against the Israelis.” He has also praised recent terror attacks as “individual acts of bravery” and has compared Israeli Jews to Satan.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, issued the following statement:
“We call on FIFA and on President Gianni Infantino, to reject this malicious campaign that seeks to use sports as a political weapon to defame and delegitimize Israel. The attempt to oust Israel from FIFA failed in 2015, and we urge FIFA to send a clear message that these attempts will never gain any support. Further, we call on FIFA to condemn the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) for fomenting hate, glorying terrorism and promoting anti-Semitism. If anyone should be expelled, it is the Palestinian Football Association that has described meetings between young Palestinians and Israelis as a ‘crime against humanity’ and which has named soccer competitions after Palestinian terrorists. Such reprehensible conduct violates FIFA’s rules that require associations to promote fair and peaceful sports.”
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on 9272 567.