PARIS — FIFA fined the Israeli Football Association (IFA) 150,000 Swiss francs ($190,700) on Thursday for “multiple breaches” of its anti-discrimination obligations, following an investigation prompted by a complaint from the Palestine Football Association (PFA).
A report by the disciplinary committee of world football’s governing body found that the IFA “failed to take meaningful action” against the club Beitar Jerusalem for “persistent and well-documented racist behaviour.”
Background of the Case
In October 2024, the Palestine Football Association reported allegations of discrimination by the IFA to FIFA, which began a full investigation. While the PFA had argued that the IFA should be suspended, FIFA did not opt for that sanction.
Instead, the IFA was found to have failed to “abide by FIFA’s statutory objectives,” with the disciplinary committee’s published decision listing several racist incidents in Israeli football.
Findings on Beitar Jerusalem
The disciplinary committee highlighted “deficient and substantively inadequate” sanctions against Beitar Jerusalem for racist and discriminatory behaviour. Supporters of the club “have engaged in persistent and well-documented racist behaviour,” the report said.
“The club’s use of slogans such as ‘forever pure,’ and the repeated chanting of ethnic slurs such as ‘terrorist’ directed at Arab players are not isolated incidents but rather form part of a systemic pattern of conduct that offends the basic rules of decent behaviour and brings the sport into disrepute.”
FIFA stated that the committee had emphasized that Beitar Jerusalem were “only a small example of a general failure by the IFA.”
Penalties and Requirements
The IFA was issued with a warning and ordered to display a banner at its next three FIFA competition home matches stating: “Football Unites the World — No to Discrimination.”
Additionally, the IFA must invest one-third of the fine toward implementing a plan to “ensure action against discrimination and to prevent repeated incidents.”
Broader Failures Cited
The report also noted that the IFA’s failure to respond to “political and militaristic messaging” by the CEO of the Israeli professional league and by Maccabi Netanya “further compounds its breach.”
“The IFA has made no public statements condemning racism, has not launched any Anti Discrimination campaigns, and has not taken steps to foster inclusion of Arab or Palestinian players,” the report continued. “It has not used its platform to promote peace or to counteract the politicisation of football by affiliated clubs and officials.”
IFA Response
The IFA responded to the punishment on Friday, claiming it did tackle racism but that “most of the measures were not publicised.”
“Well before the fine for racism, the Federation and the clubs were already working, and will work with a growing intensity against this repugnant scourge,” the IFA said.
West Bank Clubs Issue
After a separate investigation, FIFA said it could not rule on whether Israeli clubs based in the occupied West Bank could take part in the Israeli league. FIFA’s governance, audit and compliance committee based its judgment on the fact that “the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law.”
Palestinian Response
The Palestine Football Association welcomed FIFA’s ruling, stating “it was a step in the right direction.” However, it added: “The PFA observes that the findings do not fully address the scope and gravity of the violations raised in its original proposal.”
UN Experts’ Statement
In 2024, United Nations experts—mandated by the Human Rights Council but not speaking on behalf of the UN—said at least eight football clubs had been identified as playing in “Israeli colonial settlements” and called on FIFA to “fulfil its responsibility to respect human rights.”
“The autonomy and self-regulation in sport must not be detrimental to fundamental human rights,” the experts said.
Background Context
In addition to roughly three million Palestinians, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements and outposts in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. The presence of Israeli clubs in these settlements has been a point of contention in the football community for years.
