FIFA must respect and demand respect for international law from Israeli football clubs, UN experts* said today.<\/p>\n
Over the years, at least eight football clubs have developed or have been identified as playing in Israeli colonial settlements of the occupied West Bank. Israeli clubs, many of which have exhibited racism towards the Palestinian people and players over the years, are integrated in the Israeli Football Association (IFA). A ninth club, based inside Israel, plays some home games in a settlement.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch integration and conduct within the IFA amounts to recognising as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory. This is in stark violation of international law, as reiterated by the International Court of Justice in its\u00a0Advisory Opinion<\/a><\/em>\u00a0of 19 July 2024, that stressed that the transfer of Israeli settlers to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel\u2019s maintenance of their presence, is in violation of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and Israel\u2019s obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention. Legally, this constitutes an act of aggression in violation of jus ad bellum. These are grave breaches of the Convention and amount to several crimes under the Rome Statute,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n In its Advisory Opinion, the International Court of Justice clearly stated that Israel\u2019s occupation of the Gaza strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful, along with the associated settlement and annexation. The ICJ noted that Israel’s policies violate the prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid set out in article 3 of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Court mandates Israel to end its occupation, dismantle its colonies and separation wall, the entire associate regime, provide full reparations to Palestinian people and facilitate the return of Palestinian people displaced since 1967.<\/p>\n \u201cWe call on the FIFA Council, who will examine this matter during its meeting in October 2024, to ensure that its decisions are in conformity with non-derogable norms of international law,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe remind FIFA that international human rights law, which includes the right to self-determination, as well as the prohibition of racial discrimination and apartheid, applies to private international organisations, especially those that have global jurisdiction and mandates such as itself. FIFA must also fulfill its responsibility to respect human rights in accordance with the\u00a0UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights<\/a><\/em>,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe autonomy and self-regulation in sport must not be detrimental to fundamental human rights,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n They urged FIFA to ensure implementation of its zero-tolerance policy against discriminatory conduct and racism when it comes to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n *The experts: Alexandra Xanthaki<\/strong>,\u00a0Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights<\/a><\/em>;\u00a0Fernanda Hopenhaym (Chairperson), Lyra Jakulevi\u010dien\u0117 (Vice Chairperson), Pichamon Yeophantong, Damilola Olawuyi, and Robert McCorquodale<\/strong>,\u00a0Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises<\/a><\/em>;\u00a0Ashwini K.P.,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 03 October 2024 FIFA must respect and demand respect for international law from Israeli football clubs, UN experts* said today. Over the years, at least eight football clubs have developed or have been identified as playing in Israeli colonial settlements of the occupied West Bank. 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