Palestinian football body accuses Israel of targeting players, calls for FIFA action
The association condemned what it called the “unjust arrest” of the athletes and urged FIFA to intervene in the case.
Israeli authorities reportedly extended the detention of 20-year-old Rand Halawani, who was arrested a day earlier on suspicion of “throwing objects” at people in Jerusalem.
Another player, 21-year-old Natalie Abu Diyeh—also a student at Birzeit University—was detained along with three other Palestinian women in the occupied West Bank. Israeli police said the group is suspected of “promoting terrorist activities and additional terrorist-related activities.”
In its response, the PFA demanded the release of both players, describing them as “young international players who have proudly represented Palestine at both youth and senior levels.”
The organization stated that the arrests form part of what it called “a well-documented pattern of systematic targeting of Palestinian athletes, which continues without accountability.”
It further argued that Palestinian athletes are frequently restricted in terms of movement and safety, and are denied basic rights to participate in sport, which it said violates international law, FIFA statutes, and the Olympic Charter.
The PFA called on FIFA and the broader international sporting community to go beyond statements and take “concrete action” regarding the situation.
The case has also revived broader debate over sporting sanctions. FIFA previously banned Russian national teams and clubs from international competitions following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, a decision Moscow criticized as unlawful. However, FIFA has not imposed similar restrictions on Israel, despite repeated calls from Palestinian officials and some legal experts citing the ongoing conflict in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and Israel’s subsequent military campaign.
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