Norway’s Klaveness adds voice to demand for Israel’s suspension from competition
KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS; Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian football federation has called for Israel to be Israel to be suspended from international competition – following a similar statement from the Turkish FA last week.
Klaveness, in a strongly worded statement delivered at a press conference in Oslo, urged world governing body FIFA and European body UEFA to take “decisive action” in response to what she described as “grave and ongoing violations of human rights” in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The former international player, an outspoken reformist within football governance, thought Israel’s membership in world football “cannot continue as though nothing is happening.”
She said; “Football cannot turn a blind eye when international law is being systematically violated. If we are serious about human dignity, about fair play and about the values we claim to uphold, then we must consider suspending Israel until these abuses are addressed.”
Her remarks come amid renewed violence in Gaza and the West Bank, where escalating clashes have led to widespread civilian casualties. Palestinian sporting bodies have long accused Israel of restricting athletes’ movement, damaging infrastructure, and undermining the development of football in the region.
Similar appeals have been raised consistently with FIFA by the Palestinian Football Association and have always been sidestepped or kicked into the long, committee-room grass. Lately critics have pointed to Russia’s exclusion from international competitions following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
UEFA and FIFA have not yet issued a formal response to Klaveness’s remarks but speculation was raised last week that the subject would be discussed as an imminent executive committee meeting.
Within Norway, the NFF’s move has sparked debate, with some politicians backing the stance as consistent with Norway’s foreign policy, while others argue that sport should remain separate from geopolitics.
Palestinian officials welcomed Klaveness’s intervention. Jibril Rajoub, head of the PFA, praised the statement as “an act of courage and solidarity.” Israeli football authorities, by contrast, condemned the remarks, calling them “deeply biased” and accusing the Norwegian federation of undermining efforts to keep sport above political disputes.
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