Palestinian FA president declines photo with Israeli official at Fifa Congress in Vancouver | OneFootball

Jibril Rajoub refused to pose for a photo with an Israeli football official during the Fifa Congress in Vancouver on Thursday.

After Rajoub and Basim Sheikh Suliman had addressed delegates from the podium, Fifa president Gianni Infantino invited them to stand with him for a photograph. According to Le Progres, Rajoub refused several times despite Infantino's insistence.

He also declined to shake hands with Suliman.

The Palestinian FA has filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after Fifa declined to sanction Israel over clubs based in West Bank settlements. The PFA argues those teams should not compete under the Israeli federation.

The West Bank, a Palestinian territory marked by daily violence, has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

In October 2024, UN human rights experts mandated by the Human Rights Council, who were not speaking on behalf of the UN, called on Fifa to respect international law on this matter, identifying at least eight clubs playing in settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Speaking to reporters, Rajoub said Fifa should apply its statutes with fairness and logic. He cited destruction of sports facilities in Gaza and the killings of hundreds of Palestinian athletes and staff, and said the Israeli representative ignored that suffering.

Source: Le Progres