UEFA weighs Israel ban amid mounting legal, political pressure

UEFA executives have held a series of meetings with the organisers of a prominent pro-Palestinian campaign to discuss the circumstances under which Israel could be banned from international competition.

Several of the meetings, involving representatives of the Game Over Israel campaign, have taken place since the late-September ceasefire in Gaza, The Athletic reports.

The campaign was launched in New York on September 17, one day after the United Nations declared Israel’s actions in Gaza to constitute genocide. Sources with knowledge of UEFA’s internal deliberations said the organisation came close to calling a vote on Israel’s participation in European football in late September, under pressure from several member associations. UEFA leadership, however, decided to pause the process after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was brokered by the United States on September 29.

According to individuals briefed on the talks, meetings between UEFA and the campaign have explored mechanisms under which a potential ban might be enforced. While UEFA is currently unlikely to suspend Israel through its executive committee — a move that would place it at odds with other major sporting bodies — it is closely watching two legal challenges in Ireland and Switzerland that could force action under international law.

One meeting, held at UEFA’s Switzerland headquarters on October 15, coincided with West Midlands Police banning Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending a match at Aston Villa over safety concerns. Though UEFA publicly stated it “encourages both teams and the competent authorities to agree on the implementation of appropriate measures necessary to allow (fans to travel),” sources say officials privately asked campaign representatives to gather insights from human rights experts to support future decision-making.

UEFA president Aleksandr Ceferin is described by insiders as sympathetic to the suffering in Gaza and personally pushed for a banner at August’s Super Cup reading: “Stop killing children; Stop killing civilians.” He also explored the possibility of meeting former UN special rapporteur Richard Falk, an advisor to the campaign. A letter delivered to Ceferin on November 12 and signed by players including Paul Pogba and Adama Traoré urged UEFA to ensure it “does not participate in the normalisation of genocide, apartheid, and crimes against humanity.”

The FAI has submitted a motion to ban Israel, citing alleged breaches of UEFA statutes, while a similar case in Switzerland will question whether UEFA should maintain its tax-exempt status if found in violation of international law.

Israel joined UEFA in 1994, with any ban affecting both national and club competitions.

By Vafa Guliyeva