Goal Guy: Israeli soccer star Itay Schechter celebrates a goal in 2010. The country?s lower leagues ended a ban on wearing yarmulkes during games after protests. Image by getty images

The governing body of international soccer, FIFA, did not reach a decision on preventing Israeli teams from playing in West Bank settlements.

The organization was expected to discuss the issue at its executive committee meeting, which ended on Friday, but did not make any decisions, Haaretz reported. It was to have considered a special committees recommendations and come up with a solution to be presented at the FIFA world congress, scheduled for May 2017.

Six Israeli teams play their home matches in West Bank settlements.

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 international NGO Human Rights Watch late last month called on FIFA to quit sponsoring matches held by the Israel Football Association on West Bank pitches.

Human Rights Watch said it had conducted an investigation of the Israel Football Association, a FIFA member, and found that the group holds games in West Bank settlements “on land unlawfully taken from Palestinians.”

The Palestinian Football Association has accused its Israeli counterpart of violating FIFA rules by holding games without permission on the territory of another member group. Jibril Rajoub, the head of the Palestinian Football Association, has threatened to take the issue to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a ruling on the issue if FIFA does not deal with it.

New FIFA President Gianni Infantino earlier this month told the French news agency AFP that he would make finding a resolution to the conflict over West Bank Israeli soccer teams “a priority.”

The West Bank soccer teams are in Ma’aleh Adumim, Ariel, Kiryat Arba, Givat Ze’ev, the Jordan Valley and Oranit.

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