Vaud MPs reject UEFA tax review after cyberattack, amid Israel suspension push | OneFootball

Vaud’s Grand Council rejected a move to pressure UEFA to consider suspending Israel, voting 74-53 amid a cyberattack row.

The motion sought to review UEFA’s tax status, with an annual exemption of about 30 million euros by internal estimates. According to L'Équipe, left-wing sponsors framed it as leverage to push UEFA to address the Palestinian question.

Lobbying for Israel’s suspension has intensified since the bombardments in Gaza. UEFA explored a vote in September 2025, then dropped it.

The spam surge began Monday afternoon, and from about 16:30 right-wing deputies received thousands of emails from international addresses urging them to back the motion, overwhelming the parliament’s IT. Parliament said it had never faced such an incident and that investigations are under way.

Ashish Prashar of the Game Over Israel campaign denied any involvement. Several right-wing MPs said the deluge hardened their resolve to vote the initiative down, believing the mails came from pro-Palestinian sympathisers.

Green MP Raphaël Mahaim will raise the matter with the Federal Council and has asked for help from the federal security office. He said early signs point to a cyberattack rather than activist messaging, possibly seeking destabilisation linked to a debate with major international attention. He warned that, if proven, such interference would be grave for Swiss democracy.

The Israel Football Association said the accusations were even more ridiculous than the vote itself.

Source: L'Équipe