ToallFIFAmemberassociations

Ramallah,May15th,2015,

SituationofPalestinianfootball
ResolutionpresentedtotheFIFACongress

LadiesandGentlemenPresidents,
LadiesandGentlemenGeneralSecretaries,
Dearcolleagues,

Once again, unfortunately, and on behalf of the whole Palestinian football

community, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) had no other choice but to
submitaproposaltotheFIFACongresstoaddresstheproblemswehavebeenfacing
foryearssincewebecameamemberofFIFAin1998,inordertodevelopthegame
and to obtain the full implementation of the FIFA Statutes, its principles, rights and
obligations.

Forthethirdyearinarowafterthe63rdFIFA CongressinMauritiusandthe64thin
SoPauloin2013and2014respectively!

Youcouldfindthementionoftheproposalintheagendaunderitem15.1,butsince
thetextofthisresolutionhasnotbeenincludedintheagenda,thecompletetextis
enclosedwiththiscircularletterforyourinformationandyourperusal.

Thisresolutionisbasedonthreespecificitems:
The fact that the freedom of movement for Palestinian players and officials
within, in and out the Palestinian territories, and for foreign teams and
officialsinandoutthePalestinianterritories,theimportofdonatedfootball
equipment and the building of football infrastructures continue to be
hindered, limited and obstructed by a set of unilateral regulations and their
arbitraryandinconsistentimplementation.

The fact that the Israeli FA (IFA) has not dealt properly with the racist and
discriminatory behavior of the officials and fans of toptier club Beitar
Jerusalem.

The fact that five clubs play in Israeli leagues while they are located in
territoriesrecognizedbytheinternationalcommunityasPalestinianterritories
inviolationoftherelevantarticles83and84oftheFIFAStatutes.

Inordertochangethecurrentsituation,thePFAsubmittedtheproposaltosuspend
theIFAuntilfactsonthegroundarechangedanduntilnotably,theIsraeliauthorities
willensurethatthePFAandthePalestinianfootballcommunitycanbenefitfromthe
principlesenshrinedintheFIFAStatutes.

xxx

Iamsurethatyouhaveheard,readandbeentoldalotaboutwhatthePFAistrying
to achieve. That it is a political move. That it is motivated by extremism. That it is
distortingthereality.

Soallowmetospeaktoyouasacolleaguewithallfranknessandwithmyheart.

1) ThePFAhasshowncompromiseandflexibilityonmanyopportunities.
In the FIFA Congress in Mauritius in 2013, we accepted to establish a bilateral
mechanismbetweenthePFAandtheIFAwithliaisonofficersbutthisdidnotproduce
anypermanentorconsistentresults.

In the FIFA Congress in Brazil in 2014, we raised the issue again and accepted the
proposalbytheFIFAPresidenttosolemnlycallupontheIsraeliauthoritiesonbehalf
ofFIFAandtoestablishamediationmechanismunderFIFAsleadership.

ThissecondcompromisefailedtoowiththeFIFAmediatorresigningaftersixmonths
and because of the intransigenceof the Israeli authorities including during the FIFA
Presidentsvisitintheregioninthesummer2014.

I want to stress as well, since I am also the President of the Palestinian Olympic
Committee, that in 2010 and 2011, the then IOC President, Dr Jacques Rogge,
intervened on behalf of the Olympic movement to improve the situation. We had
threemeetingsbetweenthePalestinianandIsraeliOlympicCommitteeswithonein
Ramallah,inthePalestinianterritory,undertheauspicesoftheIOCandduringwhich
weevensignedabilateralmemorandumofunderstanding.

Regretfully, the IOC mediation stopped because it did not meet any positive
understandingfromtheIsraelipoliticalauthorities.

2) ThePFAisnotatallengagedinapoliticalcampaign.
Mymotivation,ourmotivationispurelyasportone.ThePFAasagoodmemberof
FIFAisreadytoofficiallyrecognizeandcooperatewiththeIFAaslongasitisdoneon
amutualbasis.

We are neighbors in the region and as you surely know, a lot of PalestinianIsraeli
players play in the Israeli clubs and national teams. More and more players are

transferred between clubs of the two FAs and even recently, a dispute between a
PalestinianclubandanIsraelicluboverthetransferofaplayerwasdecidedbythe
FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber in favor of the first of the two, with the same
processandalongthesameprincipleslikearoundourworldfootballcommunity.

ButyouallknowthesituationexistingintheregionformorethansixtyyearsandIdo
notneedtoelaborate.

I can also here solemnly say that I would not like anyone in our world football
community,noteventheIsraelifootballcommunity,tofaceandtolivethroughthe
daily obstacles, the arbitrary implementation of unilateral rules, the use of the
legitimateconcernsonsecuritythatweshareasanalibitodenythePalestinian
footballcommunitythesamerightsthanthe208othersunderFIFA.

3) ThePFAhasplentyofgroundandprovenexamplestocomplainabout.
Allowmetoputtherecordstraight.Yes,weobtainsomepermitstoenterandcome
back. Yes, we receive permits to import donated football equipment. Yes, foreign
teamsvisitus.

But lets look at some unquestionable examples and the conditions on how these
permitsareeitherauthorizedorrefused,amongsomanyotherexamples:

In the past years, FIFA and confederation officials have been stoppedfor no
reasonatbordersandcheckpoints.EventheFIFAPresidentin1999and2008
andtheUEFAPresidentfacedthisexperience.

Afewmonthsago,AFIFAZurichbasedofficialwasstoppedsixhoursattheentrance
intotheGazaStripwhilehewasgivenallpermitsandhismissionhadbeenproperly
notifiedinadvance.

Successivecoachesofournationalteamscouldnotandstillcannotcallon
playersfromGazatocometotheWestBankforsimpletrainingcamps.

The PFA Deputy General Secretary based in Gaza was denied a permit to
attendtheFIFACongressinBrazillastyearwithoutanyexplanationandmore
surprisinglyinspiteofthefactthathehadpreviouslyreceivedthesepermits
withoutaproblem.

ThelocationofFIFAGoalprojectstobuildartificialfieldsinPalestinehadtobe
changed many times due to Israeli decisions, not to mention the fact that
buildingwasstoppedtemporarilyonvariousprojectswithoutnotificationand
duetopressureofIsraelisettlersgroupssupportedbytheIsraeliarmy.

The import of donated equipment has been retained during months for
administrativereasonsbytheIsraelicustomsauthority.

RegardingtheforeignteamsandofficialscomingtoPalestineforFIFAand/or
AFCcompetitionsand/orofficialmissions,arbitraryistherule.

Twomonthsago,aforeignteamandsomeAFCofficialswhohadreceivedthepermits
toplayinPalestinefortheAFCCupwerestoppedduringsevenhoursattheborder
withoutanyjustification.

Andlastbutnotleast,thePFAhastopresentthepermitrequests35daysbeforea
match, a deadline which is inconsistent with the football internationallyaccepted
practicesandregulationsinthatmatteraswellastotallyincompatiblewiththesport
managementofplayers(choicegiventothecoachestoselecttheplayers,lastminute
substitutionofplayersduetoinjury).

Finally,whoamongyouwouldacceptthatsomeforeignclubsbasedonyour
territorywouldplayinacompetitionorganizedbyyourneighbor?

4) ThePFAisnotunfairlyaimingattheIFA.
SomesaythatitisunfairtotrytopunishtheIFAforsomedecisionstakenbythe
Israeliauthorities.

Otherspretendthatnomemberassociationfulfillingitsstatutorydutiesshouldbe
suspended.

Firstly,IwanttosaythatsincewelaunchedourproposaltotheCongress,theIFA
startedtopunishBeitarJerusalemfortheracistbehaviorofthemembersofthat
club.Thisvindicatesouractions.

Secondly, FIFA regularly suspends member associations which fulfill their statutory
obligations. The records show plenty of cases of FAs who have been suspended or
threatened to be suspended to ensure that political authorities of any kind would
respecttheautonomyofthegameinlinewitharticle13.3oftheFIFAStatuesstating
thatviolationsmayalsoleadtosanctionsevenifthethirdpartyinfluencewasnot
thefaultofthememberconcerned.

Finally,whichothermeanscanthePFAusetoimposeachangeofthebehaviorofthe
IsraelipoliticalauthoritiesexceptusingthethreatofsuchasuspensionoftheIFA?By
theway,itisthesamemethodthatFIFAusestoforceagovernmenttorespectthe
autonomyofaFA:thethreatofapoliticalcostinfrontofthelocalpublicopinion.

xxx

Allowmetoconcludebyaskingforyourhelp.

ThePFAwantsasolid,permanentandefficientmechanismunderFIFAsauthorityto
ensureitsrightsarerespected.Wearereadytoacceptsuchamechanismaslongasit
isbasedoncleartermsofreferenceandontheFIFAStatutes.

AunitedfrontbyallFIFAmemberassociationscanachievethisgoal.

OuraimistostopthesufferingofourfootballersandensurethatPalestinianfootball
is allowed to benefit from the rights and carry out the obligations enshrined in the
FIFAstatutes.ThePFAhadnootherchoicebuttosubmittheenclosedproposalto
the65thFIFACongress.

Withmybestregards

JibrilRajoub
President
PalestineFootballAssociation

Cc.: FIFAPresident

FIFAVicepresidents

FIFAExecutiveCommitteemembers