By Andrew Warshaw
September 24 – A rapprochement between Israeli and Palestinian football officials has moved a vital step closer – but only as a result of FIFA’s involvement as mediators. Delegations from both countries met FIFA officials in Zurich on Monday and agreed to each appoint a liaison officer to facilitate the movement of players in and out of the Palestinian territories.
Palestine accuses Israel’s security forces, who control movement between the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, of frequently preventing its athletes travelling freely between the two separated territories as well as stopping those from visiting countries from entering the West Bank.
Palestine FA president Jibril Rajoub raised the issue at the FIFA Congress in Mauritius in May when he warned that if the matter was not resolved satisfactorily, he would call on delegates at next year’s Congress to expel Israel.
Israel counters that it is has no choice but to enforce security because the Gaza Strip, from where rockets and mortar bombs are regularly fired, is ruled by the Islamist Hamas faction which calls for Israel’s destruction.
On Monday Rajoub sat alongside his Israeli counterpart Avi Luzon and their respective associations agreed “to the appointment of two liaison officers between the two federations to the relevant authorities on each side, who shall report to FIFA in order to facilitate the movement of persons and goods,” according to a statement.
Although an important step in the direction, relations between the two countries nevertheless remain tense. Sources have told Insideworldfootball that Monday’s talks at FIFA headquarters replaced a scheduled meeting in Amman, Jordan, which was apparently postponed because it was considered too early for the two sides to meet bilaterally.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has consistently defended the rights of the Palestine FA but sources allege that various factions wanted FIFA to pull out and leave the process of conciliation to Israel and Palestine.
The Palestinians, however, are believed to have insisted on FIFA acting as mediators and want at least six months of trust to be established with the Israelis before any public relations-style Memorandum of Understanding can be signed.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734950526labto1734950526ofdlr1734950526owedi1734950526sni@w1734950526ahsra1734950526w.wer1734950526dna1734950526