‘Israel’ escapes UEFA suspension after US efforts: Hebrew media

‘Israel’ has avoided immediate expulsion from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) after an intense diplomatic campaign intervened to stop a vote on its suspension, according to Hebrew media.

Read more: UEFA president says he’s against banning ‘Israeli’ clubs from competition

Sources close to the matter indicate that a vote on ‘Israel's’ exclusion, which had been anticipated for a UEFA Executive Committee meeting, was prevented from even being held, with American officials intervening in the matter, pressuring UEFA’s leaders.

‘Israeli’ officials, including Shlomi Barzel, the head of communication for the ‘Israel’ Football Association (IFA), warned that a suspension from European events would be "almost a deathblow to Israeli soccer" and could set a precedent for other sports.

Multi-Front Campaign

Pressure to suspend ‘Israel’ has mounted from multiple directions, moving beyond traditional fan protests to formal, high-level challenges.

• Legal and Human Rights Arguments: A group of eight independent UN human rights experts formally called for ‘Israel's’ suspension from both FIFA and UEFA. They cited findings by the UN Commission of Inquiry that ‘Israel’ is committing "genocide" in the occupied Palestinian territory. The experts argued that sporting bodies are bound by international human rights obligations and must not "turn a blind eye to grave human rights violations". They explicitly stated that the boycott should be addressed to the ‘Israel’, not individual athletes, who should not bear the consequences of their government's actions.
• Palestinian Advocacy: The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has consistently campaigned against ‘Israel's’ participation. The PFA submitted a formal proposal to the FIFA Congress in May 2024 calling for ‘Israel's’ suspension from the global body. While FIFA has repeatedly postponed a decision, it has launched two investigations: one into alleged discrimination by the IFA and another into ‘Israeli’ teams operating in Palestinian territory.
• Growing European Disquiet: Political and public pressure has intensified across Europe. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for a sports boycott of ‘Israel’ until the "barbarity" in Gaza ends. In stadiums, banners with messages such as "Show Israel the red card" and "Stop Genocide In Gaza" have become increasingly common, despite UEFA's rules against political messaging. Even UEFA, in a significant departure from its usual stance, displayed a banner reading "Stop Killing Children. Stop Killing Civilians" at the 2025 Super Cup final.

The Doha Factor and US Intervention

According to Hebrew media reports, the pressure campaign gained significant momentum after a failed ‘Israeli’ strike in Doha, Qatar, on September 9, 2025, which targeted Hamas leaders.

The strike, which killed six people infuriated Qatar, which is a key financial backer and major donor to UEFA. Reports claim that Qatar used its influence to push for the expulsion vote. The motion was "seen as certain to pass," with a "sweeping majority" of the 20 voting members allegedly on board.

“Israel Hayom” reported that officials in Jerusalem believed friendly countries like Germany and Hungary would lobby to prevent the vote.