UN Expert Urges Israel To Distribute From International Football Matches

JAKARTA - United Nations (UN) experts have urged Israel to be suspended from international football matches, citing the official conclusion that Tel Aviv has committed genocide.

Special Reporter for Cultural Rights Alexandra Xantaki Xanthaki, one of the UN experts urging the FIFA and UEFA football authorities to expel Israel after the UN Inquiry Commission for the occupied Palestinian Territories concluded that Israel had committed genocide, saying that waiting was no longer acceptable.

"We can't pretend that everything is going as usual, and the football association can't pretend that everything is going as usual," he said, quoted from Anadolu, October 7.

"Unfortunately, sporting associations are generally reluctant to agree to crack down on human rights abuses, although most of them do talk about how human rights are at the heart of their work," he said.

"We're not just talking about human rights abuses, but we're talking about such a huge violation," Xantaki said.

He further argues that many organizations and countries fail to act when strong interests are at stake.

"However, this is not business as usual. This is something extraordinary. Now we have evidence, not from me, but from independent and world-famous experts, such as the UN Investigative Commission, for example 41 special whistleblowers," he explained.

"The association of sports has a responsibility to act. In addition, the countries where the sports association is located have responsibilities, legal responsibility, to ask these sports associations not to violate human rights, as well as the countries where this football competition takes place," he explained.

Underlining sport is about justice, and federations often use this principle, this particular whistleblower highlights sanctions against Russia as a comparison.

"Only four days after the illegal Russian invasion (February 2022) in Ukraine, several sports organizations were very excited and very quick to take action and exclude Russia as a country. We really have to remain consistent," he said.

While genocide is taking place in Gaza, swift action is very important, Xantaki said, criticizing European football authorities UEFA for citing a recent US ceasefire plan as an excuse not to act.

"But this plan is terrible. This plan was prepared without the consent of victims of genocide and completely ignored the United Nations. My proposal to UEFA is: act first; maybe when peace is reached, Israel can be accepted back," he explained.

"This plan is dire. This plan was not made with the consent of people who were victims of genocide. This plan is very focused on the US acting as a neutral force and completely ignoring the United Nations," the special whistleblower continued.

"So I have other ideas for UEFA. Why don't they take action now? Once peace is reached, maybe they can accept Israel back in a football competition," he exclaimed.

"The FIFA also rejected (the ban on Israel), I think it was last week or the previous week," he said, speaking of the world football body.