UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) welcomes FIFA’s latest decision rejecting the Palestinian demand to suspend the Israel Football Association (IFA) on the ground that it has member clubs in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria).

In doing so, FIFA appears to have accepted arguments put forward by UKLFI showing that organising football matches in this area does not contravene FIFA’s rules and that the legal status of the West Bank is not a matter for FIFA to resolve.

The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has argued since 2016 that the IFA is in breach of the FIFA Statute because several football teams based in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria play in the IFA’s football league. According to the PFA, this is contrary to provisions of the FIFA Statute which prohibit a member association from organising football matches in the territory of another member association.

In 2017 UKLFI prepared a legal submission which pointed out that, in accordance with case-law of the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS), the territory of a sports association is not necessarily coterminous with a political territory. Rather, it is the territory in which that association has been organising the sport.

UKLFI’s submission demonstrated that:

• the relevant FIFA provisions do not require interpretation by reference to disputed political borders;
• the Israeli Football Association is the only body organising football in the areas concerned; and
• FIFA should avoid involvement in matters of public international law.

UKLFI also identified numerous other politically disputed territories around the world where football clubs play in the leagues of the FIFA member associations of the countries that administer them. UKLFI pointed out that major problems for the sport would ensue if this were prohibited by FIFA.

UKLFI’s submission was sent to FIFA, initially as part of a joint memorandum with Palestinian Media Watch, The Lawfare Project and the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies, and later as a stand-alone submission.

FIFA’s Council decided in October 2017 that it should remain neutral with regard to political matters and should not interfere with the status quo of football in these territories. It stated: “The matter is declared closed and will not be the subject of any further discussion until the legal and/or de facto framework has changed.” An appeal by the PFA to the CAS was dismissed in July 2018.

In 2024 the PFA revived its complaint about the football clubs in the West Bank and made additional complaints of discrimination.

Following this, UKLFI wrote again to FIFA, showing that there had been no relevant change in the legal or factual framework since the FIFA Council decision in 2017 and enclosing a further copy of its 2017 submission as well as an annex summarising the historical background of the Israel / Palestine conflict.

UKLFI’s detailed letter discussed the genocide allegations made against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the non-binding advisory opinion of the ICJ of July 2024, and FIFA’s suspension of the Football Union of Russia (FUR) in “unique and unprecedented circumstances”.

UKLFI also drew attention to the PFA’s continuing breaches of FIFA Statutes in preventing any matches or relations between Israeli and Palestinian football clubs, officials and players; discriminating against Jewish Israelis; discriminating against women; and the political activities of its Chairman, Jibril Rajoub.

FIFA’s Council referred the issue of the IFA’s clubs in the West Bank to its Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC) and the allegations of discrimination by the IFA to its Disciplinary Committee.

The GACC concluded that “FIFA should take no action given that, in the context of the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the FIFA Statutes, the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law regarding the clubs in the West Bank. FIFA should continue to promote dialogue  and offer mediation between the PFA and the IFA at an operational level”.

The Disciplinary Committee concluded that the IFA had committed breaches of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code by not sufficiently addressing racism by Beitar Jerusalem fans; social media posts in support of Israeli military action by the CEO of Israeli Professional Football Leagues and by Maccabi Netanya; and the exclusion of Palestinian footballers from Israeli clubs in the West Bank.

The Disciplinary Committee ordered the IFA to implement a prevention plan, comprising the display of a banner stating “Football Unites the World – No to Discrimination” at its next 3 home A-level FIFA competition matches and a plan of action against discrimination focusing on reforms, protocols, monitoring and educational campaigns in stadia and official channels for an entire season.

A fine of CHF 150,000 was also imposed, of which CHF 50,000 was to be invested in the prevention plan, and a warning was given.

The FIFA Council adopted the decisions of both Committees on 19 March 2026.

UKLFI Chief Executive, Jonathan Turner, commented:

“We welcome the FIFA Council decision regarding the inclusion of clubs in Judea and Samaria in the IFA’s football league.

On the other hand, the disciplinary decision seems to us to be out of line with FIFA’s failure to sanction much more egregious racism and political posturing against Israel, not only by Palestinian fans and officials, but also in Scotland, England and other countries. We do not condone racist behaviour, but we also expect fair and equal treatment of offences. In the light of this decision, we intend to submit disciplinary complaints to FIFA about various member associations and will demand treatment in line with the allegations made against the IFA.”