JAKARTA - The Palestine Football Association (PFA) has officially appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding FIFA's decision not to impose sanctions on Israel. This matter concerns the existence of Israeli clubs in settlements in the West Bank.
The move was taken after FIFA's internal channels were considered deadlocked. "We have taken all legal channels at FIFA. We will appeal because this decision is unfair and does not reflect justice," said PFA Vice President Susan Shalabi, Wednesday, after the Asian Football Confederation Congress in Vancouver, as reported by Anadolu Agency, Thursday, April 30.
According to Shalabi, the FIFA Council did not make a decision after a long process. "After 15 years of discussion, the council decided not to decide," he said.
The PFA said it would take the entire legal process at the CAS to get a ruling on the case.
This issue is related to the existence of Israeli clubs in the West Bank, which by the international community, including the United Nations, is considered occupied Palestinian territory. Israeli settlements in the area are considered to be in violation of international law.
In March, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee found the Israel Football Association (IFA) guilty of a "serious and systematic" breach of discrimination. However, the committee did not impose any major sanctions.
The committee also judged FIFA to have failed to act against racist practices, allowing political and militaristic messages, and not preventing the exclusion of Palestinians from football infrastructure in the region.
However, the PFA's request to ban Israeli clubs based in the occupied territories from participating in international competitions was rejected. The committee reasoned that the issue was beyond its jurisdiction.
With an appeal to the CAS, the resolution of this case has now shifted to the international sports arbitration track.
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