Image by getty images

(JTA) — The governing body of international soccer said it was “premature” to make a decision on the status of Israeli teams that play in the West Bank.

FIFA removed from its annual congress agenda a resolution that would require the teams to stop playing or be sanctioned, and which calls for Israel’s removal from FIFA. It marked the third straight year that the FIFA Congress has delayed making a ruling.

The FIFA Congress began its annual two-day meeting on Wednesday in Manama, Bahrain.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The six West Bank teams, which play in lower level leagues, are located in Maale Adumim, Ariel, Kiryat Arba, Givat Zeev, Oranit and the Jordan Valley.

The Palestinians say this violates FIFA’s rules, which state that “Member associations and their clubs may not play on the territory of another member association without the latter’s approval.” They can still request that the resolution be put back on the agenda.

“It is not clear why the FIFA Council needs more than two years to decide whether or not to follow its own rules,” Sari Bashi, Israel and Palestine advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. “FIFA’s Congress on Thursday should order the IFA to stop sponsoring games in Israeli settlements. Continuing to sponsor games on stolen land is contrary to the human rights commitments FIFA so recently reaffirmed.”

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount