FIFA fines Israel FA for ‘discrimination and racist abuse’

FIFA has fined the Israel Football Association 150,000 Swiss Francs (£141,700) and issued a formal warning over its future conduct following an investigation into an "alleged offence of discrimination" raised by the Palestine Football Association.

The ruling follows a probe by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee into the IFA’s handling of racism in Israeli football, stemming from a complaint submitted by the Palestine FA at the 74th FIFA Congress in May 2024.

World football’s governing body concluded that the Israel Football Association breached "articles 13 (offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play) and 15 (discrimination and racist abuse) of the Fifa disciplinary code".

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Alongside the financial penalty and warning, FIFA has directed the IFA to display "a significant and highly visible banner with the words 'Football Unites the World - No to Discrimination' alongside the Israel Football Association's logo" during its next three home matches.

"The size, layout, and positioning of the banner in the stadium shall be submitted by the Israel Football Association to Fifa at the latest 15 days before each match for approval," said FIFA in a statement.

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Additionally, the IFA has been instructed to "invest one third of the fine ... towards the implementation of a comprehensive plan to ensure action against discrimination and to prevent repeated incidents".

FIFA further noted that "the decision remains subject to a potential appeal" by the Israel Football Association.

The Palestine FA had also alleged that the IFA was "allowing inclusion of football teams located on the territory of another association (Palestine) in its national league".

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On this matter, FIFA stated it "should take no action given that ... the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law".

Meanwhile, the Palestine Football Association confirmed that its national team’s scheduled friendly matches against Mauritania and Benin in Morocco later this month have been cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.