The Israel Football Association (IFA) is reportedly working to prevent a key vote expected to take place at a UEFA Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday on whether to suspend Israel from all European football competitions following lobbying efforts over Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
The IFA told Israeli media they "are working on it on all fronts" in recruiting allies and those in the world on sports and diplomacy to block the vote, Israel Hayom daily reported.
The publication also added that Israeli officials believe Germany and Hungary will try to prevent the vote from being held.
Shlomi Barzal, head of communication for IFA, said Israel's suspension would be "almost a deathblow to Israeli soccer" and might cause similar decisions in other sports.
While there is no official confirmation on whether the vote will take place, multiple sources have indicated that a motion is being pushed, particularly by Qatari efforts and if it succeeds, the vote could happen this Tuesday.
IFA did not tell Times of Israel whether a meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, while no formal announcement or confirmation has been made from UEFA itself.
Qatar, one of UEFA's key financial backers, is reportedly campaigning for a vote to be held, with the majority of the 20 voting countries set to suspend Israel.
Should Israel be suspended, it would reportedly end the Israeli national team's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying run, which is organised by UEFA, in which Israel is currently competing.
At the same time, Israeli clubs would also be banned from the UEFA Europa League and other European club competitions, as the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv is set to play in this season's UEFA Europa League, with the first match planned take place on Wednesday against Greece's PAOK FC.
UEFA's Executive Committee has the authority to suspend a member if it finds there has been a serious breach of UEFA statutes, regulations, or decisions. The decision requires a vote by all members of the committee and needs a three-quarters majority to succeed.
Following Israel's war, which has since killed over 65,000 Palestinians, UEFA has received numerous calls for Israel to be banned from all competitions, just like how Russia was banned following its invasion of Ukraine.
While UEFA's President Aleksander Ceferin has defended the decision not to ban Israel, it has not stopped football fans, officials, and nations from calling for a sports boycott.
The war on Gaza has also sparked a cultural boycott, with many demanding that Israel to be banned from the Olympics, similar to how South Africa was historically barred during its apartheid.
In the Eurovision song contest, too, at least five countries have threatened to boycott the international competition if Israel were to participate.