RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Football Association is putting forward a proposal to FIFA Congress in May to demand that the world federation bars Israel from all international competition over the Gaza crisis.

Russia is currently barred from the world game over its invasion of Ukraine.

The Israel/Palestine issue has been absent from congress for the majority of the presidency of Gianni Infantino after the abortive attempts of predecessor Sepp Blatter and then Olympic supremo Jacques Rogge to achieve some sort of accommodation between the security services.

The latest proposal targets the Israeli FA for complicity in its government’s violations against Palestinian football as well as incorporating at least five clubs from the occupied territories.

It states: “[Congress should] address the repeated failure of the IFA in taking decisive action against discrimination and racism, in the areas under its jurisdiction; address without further delay the IFA’s violation of the FIFA statutes manifest in its continued inclusion of football teams located on the territory of another association (Palestine) in its national league.”

A number of countries have already called on FIFA to suspend Israel from football-related activities.

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