NEW YORK - The World Jewish Congress on Friday welcomed the decision by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Council to decline the Palestinian Football Association’s long-standing push for punitive measures against the Israeli Football Association on the grounds that it is a complex political dispute unrelated to football.
The WJC’s efforts on the matter spanned several diplomatic spheres, including high-level talks between World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder and relevant senior officials in FIFA.
WJC CEO and Executive Vice President Robert Singer called FIFA’s ruling “a significant precedent which sends a strong message that international organizations should be used to build bridges, not to create divides. There is no place in sports for cynical political campaigns or unwarranted bias.”
“The World Jewish Congress and its member communities have worked intensely over the last months to urge FIFA and its Council members to avoid this association being used as a tool in the political campaign of the Palestinian Football Association to encourage incitement against Israel, and to remain neutral on political matters.”
Among the diplomatic efforts, the WJC and dozens of its affiliated communities carried out a comprehensive campaign to actively appeal to FIFA and its National Council representatives to seek a consensus against the PFA’s efforts ahead of the Kolkata meeting. The WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps supported the campaign by engaging in opinion-making in international media, and launching a social media action that reached millions online.
The WJC reiterates its support for organizing a friendly football match between Israel and the Palestinians, under FIFA’s auspices, to encourage dialogue and cooperation, in accordance with the fundamental values of the association.
