GENEVA, Oct 5 – FIFA must respect and demand respect for international law from Israeli football clubs, the Palestine News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported, citing United Nations (UN) experts Friday.
Over the years, at least eight football clubs have developed or have been identified as playing in Israeli colonial settlements of the occupied West Bank. Israeli clubs, many of which have exhibited racism towards the Palestinian people and players over the years, are integrated in the Israeli Football Association (IFA).
A ninth club, based inside Israel, plays some home games in a settlement.
“Such integration and conduct within the IFA amounts to recognising as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory.
“This is in stark violation of international law, as reiterated by the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024, that stressed that the transfer of Israeli settlers to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel’s maintenance of their presence, is in violation of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and Israel’s obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention,” the experts said.
They added, “Legally, this constitutes an act of aggression in violation of jus ad bellum. These are grave breaches of the Convention and amount to several crimes under the Rome Statute.”
