FIFA under fire for stalling on investigation into Israeli settlement clubs

Palestinian officials voiced frustration on Thursday after FIFA failed to provide a timeline for concluding two long-delayed investigations into Israeli football, highlighting what many see as blatant double standards from the world’s governing body.

FIFA opened the cases last year with one examining whether Israeli clubs based in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank breach FIFA statutes, and another into allegations of discrimination by the Israeli Football Association. Despite these serious concerns, FIFA has yet to offer clarity on either probe.

The Palestinian Football Association has been calling for action for over 15 years. Their latest request, made in October, focused on the inclusion of settlement clubs in Israel’s national competitions, a move critics say legitimises Israel’s ongoing occupation and violations of international law.

“We can’t wait another year. We need action now,” said Susan Shalabi, a senior Palestinian football official and member of the Asian Football Confederation’s executive committee. Speaking at the FIFA Congress, she urged FIFA to set a one-month deadline for its governance committee to report back.

“All we’re asking for is a clear update on the status of the matter and an exact date for when the investigation will be concluded,” she said, receiving warm applause after a powerful nine-minute speech. “The problems we face in football are visible, undeniable, yet constantly ignored.”

No federation, including Israel, responded to an open invitation to speak on the issue. FIFA’s Secretary General Mattias Grafström said the two committees “need more time,” citing the election of new members who must first be briefed.

“The committees are working diligently to conclude what is clearly a highly complex topic,” he said.

However, Palestinian officials and human rights advocates accuse FIFA of hypocrisy, pointing to its swift moves against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, while failing to act on documented violations in Palestine.

Critics argue that the presence of Israeli settlement teams, located on occupied land deemed illegal under international law, directly contradicts FIFA’s own principles of neutrality, non-discrimination, and respect for human rights.