FIFA fines Israeli soccer for fans’ racism, but lets teams from settlements compete

Governing body orders Israel Football Association to crack down on Beitar Jerusalem and others, but declines to weigh in on ‘complex matter’ of West Bank’s legal status

PARIS – FIFA said it would take no action against Israeli soccer clubs accused by the Palestine Football Association (PFA) of competing while allegedly based in Palestinian territory, and on Thursday separately sanctioned the Israel Football Association (IFA) over breaches of its anti‑discrimination and fair‑play rules.

The decisions followed a FIFA Council meeting that addressed two issues stemming from a proposal submitted by the PFA at the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok in May 2024.

On the question of Israeli clubs based in settlements in the West Bank, the Council adopted conclusions from FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC), which had been asked to examine whether such clubs should be allowed to play in competitions organized by the IFA.

FIFA said no action should be taken, citing the unresolved legal status of the West Bank under public international law.

“FIFA should take no action given that, in the context of the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the FIFA Statutes, the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law,” the governing body said in a statement.

The participation of Israeli settlement clubs has been a recurring source of tension within FIFA for nearly a decade. The PFA has long argued that clubs based in settlements in the West Bank – territory Palestinians seek as part of a future state – should not compete in leagues run by the IFA.

In a separate disciplinary decision issued late on Thursday, FIFA sanctioned the IFA for what it described as systemic breaches of its anti‑discrimination and fair‑play statutes, following an investigation into the association’s handling of racism in Israeli soccer.

FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee said the IFA had failed to take adequate action against persistent racist behavior by supporters of certain clubs, notably Beitar Jerusalem, and had not responded sufficiently to inflammatory and politicized public statements by soccer officials and clubs under its jurisdiction.

As part of the sanctions, the IFA was fined 150,000 Swiss francs ($190,621) and ordered to implement a mandatory prevention plan to combat discrimination, including educational campaigns and monitoring measures. The association must also display anti‑discrimination banners at its next three A‑level FIFA competition home matches.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.