UN experts urge suspension of Israel from international football

A group of United Nations human rights experts has urged football governing bodies to suspend Israel from international competitions, saying such a move is a necessary response to ongoing atrocities in Gaza, while European and international football officials face mounting diplomatic pressure to resist any ban. The call, issued this week by nine UN-appointed experts, asked FIFA and UEFA to exclude Israel’s national teams and clubs from international tournaments, including World Cup qualifiers and European competitions, citing a recent UN commission report that found Israel is committing genocide in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The experts said sporting bodies must not treat the situation as business as usual. "Sports must reject the perception that it is business as usual," they wrote, adding that "Sporting bodies must not turn a blind eye to grave human rights violations, especially when their platforms are used to normalise injustices." They also argued there is "a legal and moral imperative to take every measure possible to end the genocide in Gaza now." The group stressed, however, that individual athletes should not be penalized for their governments’ actions. "We...