Prince Ali leads call to ban “Israel” from football

His Royal Highness Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, in a letter addressed to all football federations around the world, called for “Israel” to be kicked out of international football.

12 other Middle Eastern football associations, which constitute the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) have joined the call, and the appeal was forwarded to the 211 national football federations and the six regional football confederations, including the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), of which “Israel” is a member.

Prince Ali, president of WAFF, wrote in a letter seen by Sky News, "We, the West Asian Football Federations, encompassing all its members, call upon FIFA, the Football Confederations, and Member Associations to join us in taking a decisive stand against the atrocities committed in Palestine and the war crimes in Gaza, by condemning the killing of innocent civilians including players, coaches, referees, and officials, the destruction of the football infrastructure, and taking a united front in isolating the Israeli Football Association from all football-related activities until these acts of aggression cease."

FIFA has previously banned Russia from international football following its “special military operation” in Ukraine, which prompted the footballing world to question FIFA’s double standards regarding the Israeli Occupation’s aggression against the Gaza Strip.

"The humanitarian crisis demands an unequivocal and resolute response from the global football community…As members bound by the statutes of FIFA, we stand united in our pledge to uphold all internationally recognised human rights," Prince Ali added in his letter.