Rajoub: Request to FIFA demanding “accountability” for Israel’s “racism against Palestinian sports” continues
Headline: “Rajoub: We haven’t cancelled our request to FIFA”
“Head of the Palestinian Football Association Jibril Rajoub stated that ‘We haven’t retracted our request to FIFA to demand accountability from Israel. The review of the request has been postponed because an international committee of FIFA will be formed to examine the occupation’s racism against Palestinian sports and the Palestinian athletes and clubs, and to examine Israel’s violations.’ Rajoub stated to WAFA [the official Palestinian news agency], after he arrived today, Saturday evening [May 30, 2015], for a visit in Tunisia: ‘The request contradicts FIFA’s activities, which means we will be in conflict with a number of countries that support Israel. The freezing of the request is done to prevent conflict with those countries.’ Rajoub emphasized that ‘Tomorrow will not be long in coming for the request, as it is still in the hands of FIFA, and after the conclusion of the summit’s activity, we’ll know what is coming.’
He added: ‘We live in an open world without any limitations or barriers which could defeat the facts or distort them.’ Likewise, he noted that ‘We submitted our proposed decision to demand accountability of Israel in FIFA with the support of my brothers in the association. I spearheaded the campaign, and of course I hoped to succeed in expelling Israel, as our cause is justified and there is support for it, and this is part of the basic solution, and the world makes the appropriate decisions…’ Rajoub reiterated that ‘We haven’t retracted our decision to expel Israel from FIFA, but rather changed it, to make sure that Israel will be subject to investigation, as 165 countries voted for us, despite the actions of the executive committee of the international association against us and our proposal.’ He stated: ‘We were not alone in the world, there is an international community and laws, and the formation of an investigatory committee is an enormous achievement. The most important thing is that most countries believe in the justice of our cause, and therefore the decision remained on the table and we haven’t cancelled it.’ He added: ‘Many Arab and African sports associations demanded that we wait.’”
“Head of the Palestinian Football Association Jibril Rajoub stated that ‘We haven’t retracted our request to FIFA to demand accountability from Israel. The review of the request has been postponed because an international committee of FIFA will be formed to examine the occupation’s racism against Palestinian sports and the Palestinian athletes and clubs, and to examine Israel’s violations.’ Rajoub stated to WAFA [the official Palestinian news agency], after he arrived today, Saturday evening [May 30, 2015], for a visit in Tunisia: ‘The request contradicts FIFA’s activities, which means we will be in conflict with a number of countries that support Israel. The freezing of the request is done to prevent conflict with those countries.’ Rajoub emphasized that ‘Tomorrow will not be long in coming for the request, as it is still in the hands of FIFA, and after the conclusion of the summit’s activity, we’ll know what is coming.’
He added: ‘We live in an open world without any limitations or barriers which could defeat the facts or distort them.’ Likewise, he noted that ‘We submitted our proposed decision to demand accountability of Israel in FIFA with the support of my brothers in the association. I spearheaded the campaign, and of course I hoped to succeed in expelling Israel, as our cause is justified and there is support for it, and this is part of the basic solution, and the world makes the appropriate decisions…’ Rajoub reiterated that ‘We haven’t retracted our decision to expel Israel from FIFA, but rather changed it, to make sure that Israel will be subject to investigation, as 165 countries voted for us, despite the actions of the executive committee of the international association against us and our proposal.’ He stated: ‘We were not alone in the world, there is an international community and laws, and the formation of an investigatory committee is an enormous achievement. The most important thing is that most countries believe in the justice of our cause, and therefore the decision remained on the table and we haven’t cancelled it.’ He added: ‘Many Arab and African sports associations demanded that we wait.’”