EU Parliament Members Call FIFA, UEFA to Ban Israel

On Friday, several members of the European Parliament sent a letter to the international football governing body, FIFA, to ban Israel over the cruel war in Gaza, Palestine.

In a letter sent to the European Confederation and FIFA, 13 European Parliament members called for the “immediate expulsion, as a measure of pressure, of the Israeli national team and the rest of Israeli teams from all European and international competition until this genocide ends”, explaining that “Sport cannot serve as a display for those who violate the most essential rights of an entire population.”

They highlighted "continuing human rights violations in Palestine" is the major reason for the call to ban Israel. 

It continued: "FIFA and UEFA claim to promote the values of equality, respect and human rights through football. All of these are undoubtedly being violated in Gaza today."

The members who signed that letter are: Manu Pineda, Javier Nart, Ana Miranda, Maria Palop, Clare Daly, Mick Wallace, Miguel Urban, Luke Flanagan, Esther Sanz, Idoia Villaneuva, Marc Botenga, Chris MacManus and Martin Buschmann.

This could be the second call to ban Israel from all football competitions in less than a month after the calls of the president of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, to FIFA and all member federations to “isolate” Israel.