A majority of UEFA members are expected to support a ban on Israel participating in European football tournaments next week. The decision is being considered amid protests and a UN Commission's finding of genocide in Gaza, with a group of UN advisors calling on FIFA and UEFA to suspend the Israeli national team from international competitions as a "necessary response to human rights violations." This is stated in a report by The Times, writes UNN.
Details
According to The Times, most members of the UEFA executive committee are ready to support the disqualification, comparing it to Russia's suspension from European competitions after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Neither we nor other organizations can remain indifferent to the humanitarian suffering and disproportionate attacks to which the civilian population in Gaza has been subjected for a long time.
It is noted that Israel's suspension from UEFA would automatically complicate its qualification for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Despite pressure from Washington and Qatar, sports organizations in Europe and the UN are calling for action so that "sports platforms are not used to normalize injustice."
Currently, Israeli clubs are already facing protests at matches, and the European football community is discussing how to respond to states that commit massive human rights violations, without discriminating against individual players based on their origin or nationality.
Recall
This week, Israel Hayom reported that despite calls for suspension due to military actions, Israel retained its UEFA membership thanks to the active intervention of the United States and a number of influential football structures.