The Palestinian Football Association will push ahead Friday for a vote calling for the suspension of Israel from the world football organisation at Fifa’s scandal-riven congress in Zurich.
Despite last-ditch attempts at mediation by world football officials, the Palestinian delegation insisted it would push for a vote unless Israel expels five teams based in illegal Israeli settlements from its football league.
The five teams are Ma’aleh Adumim, Ariel, Kiryat Arba, Bik’at Hayarden and Givat Ze’ev – which play in Israel’s lower divisions.
“Compromise is possible on issues like movement of [Palestinian] players and equipment, if a mechanism can be agreed,” a member of the Palestinian delegation told the Guardian. “But no compromise is possible on the settlement teams continued playing in Israel’s league.”
The comments came as it appeared that the Palestinian vote might require less than the widely reported 75% of the 209 member delegations to back Israel’s suspension.
Palestinian officials believe that – in the first instance – they require only a straight majority under Fifa rules with 75% being required to ratify and renew a suspension. If the vote does takes place it will be in a secret ballot.
There has been confusion over what precise numbers are required to suspend Israel, with Fifa officials previously insisting that a 75% majority was required.
Both Palestinian and Israeli delegations in Zurich have been working around the clock since arriving in the midst of the biggest scandal to hit the world football organisation.
Twin Swiss and US investigations focussing on a far-reaching culture of kickbacks in Fifa have thrown the congress in Zurich into chaos, including both the re-election bid of Fifa president Sepp Blatter and other business on the agenda including the Palestinian bid to have Israel suspended.
Israel has sought the support of the European regional grouping UEFA of which it is a member to vote against the proposed suspension.
Its efforts to avoid a vote – which some see as damaging in itself as a vote for suspension – have seen it enlist Israel’s ministry of foreign affairs as well as the lobbying of key Fifa officials.
The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, weighed in on Thursday, telling reporters that if Israel is suspended “it would be a blatant politicisation of sport and the result will be Fifa’s collapse”.
Mediation efforts led by Blatter, who visited Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories last week, has made progress on some issues.
According to Blatter, he reached agreement with Netanyahu on several key areas, including providing laissez passer documents to Palestinian athletes, referees and sports officials; an exemption from customs on all sports equipment to the Palestinian Football Association and the establishment of a committee to hear disagreements.
Israel is however refusing to budge on a final critical issue – the Palestinian demand to suspend Israeli teams based in the occupied territories.
At a meeting on Thursday, Blatter reportedly suggested to Israel that on the issue of the five settlement teams Fifa could approach the UN which would be asked to determine if they were on Israeli territory – an offer declined by Ofer Eini, the Israeli Football Association chairman.
Commenting on the continued push for a vote, the head of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, said: “For years, I talked to anyone I could so that Israel would change its policy and be fair in how it treated Palestinian athletes. It was in vain.
“In the end, there was no choice but to go to Fifa and ask it to protect the Palestinian athletes. And now, either there will be a solution that will make it possible for us to practice sports, or reach a situation that I don’t wish on anyone, and that is suspension. But who is responsible for this? I think it is the Israeli government.”
Israeli analysts were torn over the impact the Fifa corruption scandal might have on an eventual vote, with some predicting that delegates might want to avoid further controversy in an already fraught congress.
Speaking to the Israeli website Walla, Rotem Kamer, chief executive of the Israeli Football Association, said the combination of the corruption scandal and Blatter’s bid for re-election had complicated issues.
“There is no way of knowing which way the vote will go when Blatter is seeking re-election. There is no doubt that [Blatter] can be pressured, also because of the affair that has just exploded. He needs the Arab votes and it could be that to this end, Israel will have to be sacrificed.”
In the runup to the vote both Palestinian and Israelis were trying to voice optimism about the outcome, with Israel suggesting it had assurances from some 70% of delegations. For its part Palestinian officials were equally confidant about the vote.
“It is not a question of how many vote for us,” said one, “but at this stage how many actually vote against the motion.”
