Amnesty urges UEFA to suspend Israel
Amnesty International has called on UEFA and FIFA to suspend the Israel Football Association, arguing that Israel's participation in the UEFA Nations League is unacceptable while clubs based in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories remain part of Israeli football competitions.
Amnesty regional director for Europe Steve Cockburn said UEFA and FIFA should have suspended the Israel Football Association over its refusal to exclude settlement-based clubs.
The organization said the continued participation of those clubs violates FIFA statutes and international law and argued that funding provided to the Israeli association by football's governing bodies risks contributing to Israel's occupation and settlement policies.
Israel set for Nations League campaign
Israel is scheduled to compete in League B, Group B3 alongside Austria, the Republic of Ireland and Kosovo.
The league phase begins Thursday, with Austria hosting Israel. Israel is scheduled to face Ireland on Sept. 27 and Oct. 4, Kosovo on Oct. 1 and Nov. 14, and Austria again on Nov. 17.
Amnesty said opposition to Israel's participation has increased in Ireland, where football organizations, players, activists, trade unions and politicians have called for sanctions, a boycott or suspension.
The rights group also said the Football Association of Ireland had asked UEFA to consider suspending Israel.
Dispute over settlement-based clubs
Amnesty said it wrote to FIFA and UEFA in October 2025 urging the suspension of the Israel Football Association unless clubs based in Israeli settlements were excluded from Israeli competitions.
According to Amnesty, FIFA announced in March 2026 that it would take no action against the Israeli association over the participation of settlement-based clubs.
The Palestinian Football Association subsequently appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Amnesty said the dispute raises broader questions about the role of international sports organizations in addressing alleged violations of international law.
“Sport should never be used as a public relations spectacle for states committing atrocities,” Cockburn said.
Source:AA
