"I cannot shake the hand of someone the Israelis have brought to whitewash their fascism and genocide. We are suffering." That was the Palestinian FA's position at FIFA Congress in Vancouver on Thursday — and it played out in full view of Gianni Infantino himself.
Palestinian soccer federation President Jibril Rajoub refused to stand alongside Israel FA Vice-President Basim Sheikh Suliman when both were called to the podium by FIFA's president. Infantino placed a hand on Rajoub's arm and gestured for him to move closer. Rajoub didn't budge.
What this was actually about
The moment didn't come from nowhere. Rajoub had just spent 15 minutes at the podium arguing that Israeli clubs should not be permitted to base teams in West Bank settlements — territory Palestinians seek as the foundation of a future state. He framed it as a question of precedent: if FIFA won't enforce its own rules here, what stops other member associations from being violated with the same impunity?
Palestinian FA Vice-President Susan Shalabi, who was in the room, told Reuters that Infantino's handshake attempt effectively buried everything Rajoub had just said. "It was absurd," she said plainly.
FIFA's position, released last month, is that it will take no action against the Israel Football Association or its clubs over the West Bank issue, citing the unresolved legal status of the territory under international law. The Palestinian FA responded by appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport — a process that is still ongoing.
Infantino's call for unity landed flat
Infantino took the stand after the standoff and said: "We will work together, President Rajoub, Vice-President Suliman. Let's work together to give hope to the children. These are complex matters."
It was the kind of language FIFA reaches for when it wants to appear above the fray without actually taking a side. Given that the PFA is currently in arbitration against a FIFA decision, the optics of forcing a handshake were always going to be poor.
- The PFA has appealed to CAS against FIFA's refusal to sanction Israel over West Bank clubs
- FIFA cited unresolved legal status of the West Bank as its reason for inaction
- Israel has denied committing genocide in Gaza
As Rajoub and Shalabi left the Vancouver Convention Centre, they were approached by a separate group of protesters demanding FIFA ban Iran from the World Cup over alleged links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Rajoub's response was blunt: "We're not supporting anyone, we just want the support of the international community."
The CAS appeal is where this story actually goes next. Thursday's standoff was theatre. The arbitration ruling will carry real consequences.
