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Israeli FA chief: we could be dumped by Fifa

October 13, 2016 09:56
ISRAEL BADGE

BySimon Griver, Simon Griver

1 min read

Israel FA chairman Ofer Eini has said there is a genuine danger a Palestinian campaign to suspend Israel from international football could come to fruition.

A Fifa Council meeting yesterday was due to hear a report on the freedom of movement allowed to Palestinian footballers and the involvement of settlement-based teams in Israeli leagues.

The report says there has been commendable progress on the first issue - freedom of movement - but it cites six Israeli league teams from the West Bank - Maaleh Adumim, Ariel, Kiryat Arba, Jordan Valley, Givat Zeev and Oranit - as a sticking point.

There were fears Palestinian FA chairman Jibril Rajoub would use the arguments set out at yesterday's meeting to bring a motion before the Fifa Congress in Bahrain next May calling on Israel to withdraw the six teams from its leagues or face suspension.