Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

On Friday, the 74th FIFA Congress will be taking place in Bangkok, with 211 member associations gathering to vote on key issues relating to the FIFA World Cup. The Palestinian Football Association has submitted a resolution calling for FIFA to adopt appropriate sanctions with immediate effect against Israeli teams, including national representative teams and club teams, citing the international law violations committed by the Israeli occupation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza. The resolution also calls for FIFA to address the Israel Football Association's violation of FIFA statutes and repeated failure to take decisive action against discrimination and racism.

According to the Palestinian Football Association, at least 265 Palestinian sportsmen have been killed by Israel since October. We also know that around 15,000 Palestinian children have been slaughtered by Israel. So many of these beautiful kids probably loved playing football. Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association, has said:

Israel destroyed all sports institutions in Gaza and turned them into detention facilities similar to Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prisons.

There are reports of smaller facilities and dirt pitches being transformed into makeshift refugee camps, field hospitals and mass graves. And, yet, FIFA has failed to address the genocide in Gaza. The double standards are glaring. In 2022, FIFA banned all Russian teams from participating in international football due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Here in Australia, Craig Foster has written to the Australian football association to support calls for a ban and to urge the Australian football community and fans around the world to show support. FIFA, as the governing body of the 'world game', cannot stay silent. No-one should be staying silent.