Jibril Rajoub
Jibril RajoubReuters

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed an appeal by the head of the Palestinian Authority’s soccer federation against his ban by FIFA for "inciting hatred and violence" toward Lionel Messi, The Associated Press reported on Thursday.

CAS said its judging panel decided that FIFA's sanctions against PA soccer federation president Jibril Rajoub - a one-year ban from attending games and a fine of 20,000 Swiss francs ($20,250) - "were not disproportionate."

Rajoub's ban expires next month, before the PA team's first 2022 World Cup qualifying game at home to Uzbekistan on September 5.

Rajoub was suspended for a year from FIFA for inciting hatred and violence, after he called on soccer fans to target the Argentinian Soccer Association and burn jerseys and pictures of Messi when he was scheduled to play a friendly game in Israel.

The Argentine team subsequently cancelled the game in Israel, citing the threats made against Messi.

After his suspension from FIFA was announced, Rajoub blamed Israel, claiming the suspension was caused by “unilateral media reports in addition to misinformation from right-wing organizations in Israel.”

Rajoub has long taken actions against Israel and has in the past attempted to force FIFA to ban six Israeli teams based in Judea and Samaria. He claims that their presence there is in breach of FIFA statutes, which forbids another member association playing on another territory without permission.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino ultimately announced his organization would not intervene in the issue and that it considers the matter closed.

Rajoub later accused FIFA of caving to Israeli pressure, saying Infantino “did not deal appropriately” with his complaints against Israel.

Rajoub has in the past said that Jews deserved the genocide inflicted on them by the Nazis. Prior to that he declared that if the PA had a nuclear bomb, it would use it against Israel.

In one incident, Rajoub was filmed as he verbally confronted Border Police officers at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hevron, telling one of them to "shut up, go to hell."