FIFA has postponed a decision on a Palestinian Arab request to suspend Israel from international soccer because of the conflict with Hamas, clearing the way for the Israeli men’s national team to play at the Paris Olympics, The Associated Press reported Thursday.
FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, had been set to make a decision Saturday at an extraordinary council meeting after asking for an independent legal assessment of the PA proposal two months ago.
That decision would have come just four days before the start of the Olympic soccer tournament, where Israel has been drawn into a group with Japan, Mali and Paraguay.
However, FIFA said on Thursday that it had pushed back the timeline because “more time is needed to conclude this process with due care and completeness”. The meaning of the delay means a decision is now set to come after the Olympics have finished.
FIFA said both parties had made requests for extensions “to submit their respective positions” and that the independent assessment will now be shared with FIFA by August 31 at the latest.
The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) soccer association announced in April that it would call for action against Israel at the annual FIFA congress.
Israeli national and club teams have continued to play in UEFA competitions since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, though home games were played in neutral Hungary and Cyprus for security reasons.
The PA has sought FIFA action against Israel in the past. In 2017, FIFA decided it would not intervene in the PA’s bid to ban six Israeli teams in Judea and Samaria.
The PA claims that the presence of the teams in Judea and Samaria is in breach of FIFA statutes, which forbids another member association playing on another territory without permission.
The PA soccer federation has also complained that Israel hampers its activities, including limiting the movement of players between Palestinian Authority-assigned areas of Judea and Gaza.
Last year, Indonesia was stripped by FIFA of hosting the men’s Under-20 World Cup because it refused to host games for Israel which qualified several months earlier. The tournament moved to Argentina and Israel reached the semifinals. Within weeks, FIFA compensated Indonesia with hosting rights for the men’s Under-17 World Cup.