The United States, one of the three organizing countries of the World Cup in 2026, together with Mexico and Canada, will oppose Israel’s expulsion from this international tournament. A spokesman for the United States Department of State assured the British BBC chain that his country will work to “completely stop any attempt to ban Israel’s football team to participate in the World Cup.”
Israel is currently third in his group, with the same points as Italy and six less than Norway, who is a leader. The United States statement is known hours after the British newspaper The Times has reported that the UEFA intends to meet next week to decide whether or not to suspend Israel from international competitions, with “most of the members of the Executive Committee in favor of the suspension.”
This week, Eight UN experts, Among them the Rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, asked FIFA and UEFA to suspend the Israeli team of international competitions “in response to the ongoing genocide in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
Those who are in favor of suspending Israel take as an example what happened with Russia, which has been out of European competitions since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In August, the UEFA It positioned itself against the slaughter of civilians and children, with a banner in the European Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspurbut without mentioning Israel.
When UEFA announced the death of the footballer Suleiman Al-Obeid, known as the Palestino Pelé, Mohamed Salah recriminated the lack of information about their death on social networks. “Can you tell us how, where and why he died?” Wrote the Egyptian player. Al Obeid was killed by Israeli military forces while he was in Loop Waiting for humanitarian aid.
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UN experts clarified that the boycott “must go to the state of Israel and not to individual players,” since these cannot carry the consequences of their government’s decisions, so there should be no discrimination or sanctions against athletes due to their origin or nationality.
“The national teams that represent states that make mass violations Of human rights they can and should be suspended, as has happened in the past, “they added.
