Jordanian Prince Reiterates Call to Ban Israel From FIFA Tournaments Worldwide Due to Hamas War

Prince Ali bin Al Hussein (center) is pictured in the stands before a match at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, on February 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, president of the Jordanian Football Association and half-brother of Jordan’s King Abdullah II, reaffirms his stance on Sunday that the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) should ban Israel from all international matches due to its military actions during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

“The continuation of the status quo without taking decisive steps reinforces double standards and reflects an unfair image of the sports world,” he said on Sunday, according to the Middle East Monitor. He also called on all soccer fans around the world to stand united and pressure FIFA to expel Israel.

Al-Hussein made the statements before FIFA’s board of directors meet later this month to review a legal assessment regarding Israel’s participation in FIFA tournaments. Al-Hussein further expressed support to the Palestinian people amid the Israel-Hamas war, and said he hopes FIFA will prove its commitment to justice and equality by banned Israel for international soccer games.

In February, the Jordanian prince spearheaded a letter by the 12-member West Asian Football Federations that also called on FIFA to expel Israel from participating in global soccer matches. The letter urged FIFA to take a “decisive stand against the atrocities committed in Palestine and the war crimes in Gaza, by condemning the killing of innocent civilians including players, coaches, referees, and officials, the destruction of the football infrastructure, and taking a united front in isolating the Israeli Football Association from all football-related activities until these acts of aggression cease.”

FIFA has faced increasing international pressure to expel Israel since the start of its war against Hamas terrorists controlling the Gaza Strip who were responsible for the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel, where 1,200 civilians were killed and about 240 others were taken as hostages.

In March, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) formally submitted a proposal to FIFA that called for Israel’s removal from the governing body in response to “grave human rights and humanitarian law violations committed by Israel.” The motion also accused the Israel Football Association (IFA) of “providing moral, economic, and practical support to the occupation” of Palestinian territories. The motion garnered widespread support, including from federations representing Algeria, Qatar, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

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