PA to ask FIFA to expel Israel

Chairman of Palestinian Football Association says Israel should be expelled for failing to abide by FIFA conventions.

The Palestinian Authority will ask the Federation Internationale de Football Association to expel Israel from the organization for failing to abide by its conventions, Jibril Rajoub, chairman of the Palestinian Football Association, announced Wednesday.

Rajoub, a senior Fatah official and former Palestinian Authority security commander, said that the Palestinians won’t accept any compromises or half solutions to solve the problems facing Palestinian athletes and sports. ...

Se the whole story here, courtesy of jpost.com.

Kicking Back Comments: While I hope that FIFA does not take this issue seriously as everyone should be welcomed by FIFA, later in the article I noted some of the supporting nations for this action, one of which was Qatar.

Also recently I took great note late week when in the Qatar capital Doha, during the Swimming World Cup, local officials both refused to fly the Israel flag, and in at least one occasion, whitewashed it. See Qatari Insult from jpost.com for the details.

From this editorial the author suggests that FIFA should be taking a hard look at this conduct and weigh in for the 2022 World Cup. I do agree.

While in recent days the focus on Qatar rightfully is on their exploitation of  the migrant workers and have recently signed on to a new set of conditions for these workers (source), we will see what actually comes to pass.

I am personally doubtful that things will change significantly as from reports these workers were literally dying every day. How much better can things get from there?

It continues to make me wonder what FIFA uses as a template for suitability for a World Cup. We are on the cusp of a World Cup in Brazil and there are serious questions about safety and security of all participants, and that is saying nothing about the unrest in the region toward the displeasure of the Brazil government.

We see Russia openly making laws against homosexuals and sub-standard conditions for many during the ongoing Winter Olympics which have become iconic on Twitter (https://twitter.com/SochiProblems).

Now we have Qatar with its workers literally dying at its feet, a World Cup calendar moved, and about an air of brown envelopes and promises of beautiful weather.

Like many of us, I have read some of the bid specs ... but through those outright lies in some cases, FIFA has to exercise some common sense to protect the crown jewel of The Game.

Anytime now FIFA, anytime now.