By Joiner Martínez
At the annual FIFA Congress Gianni Infantino sought to project an image of cooperation a few days before the 2026 World Cup and asked that Jibril Rajoub, president of the Palestinian Football Association, shake hands with the vice president of the Israeli Football Association, Basim Sheikh Suliman, but was rejected by both leaders.
This episode exposed the persistent political and sporting distance between both countries, especially after FIFA’s recent decision not to suspend Israel from its competitions.
During the event at the Vancouver Convention Center, tension rose after the speeches of both managers. Infantino expressly requested that Rajoub and Suliman go on stage together for a gesture of rapprochement.
Suliman, Israeli vice president, approached with his head down and remained at one end, while Rajoub protested loudly, agreeing only to be present but without shaking his counterpart’s hand. Finally, Rajoub walked away without exchanging a word with Suliman, even under public pressure from the FIFA head.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino asked the President of the Palestinian Federation 🇵🇸, Jibril Rajoub, to shake the hand of the President of the Israeli Football Federation 🇮🇱 to promote peace and unity,
The Palestinian… pic.twitter.com/JiRgtznY6y
— Trends and Deleted Tweets (@tendenciaytuits) April 30, 2026
Without sharing in Congress
After the incident on stage, Rajoub argued his attitude before journalists: he wondered if Israel “has the right to even be part of FIFA.” The Palestinian president expressed respect for the legal procedures of the international organization, but insisted: “I think it is time to understand that Israel should be sanctioned for violations of FIFA statutes and human rights”.
For his part, Yariv Teper, interim odd secretary of the Israel Football Association, did not respond directly to Rajoub’s statements. However, he conveyed a willingness to cooperate: “We are at the FIFA Congress. Our mission is to promote football and a better future for all regions, and that is our mission”.
In Congress, Rajoub demanded that FIFA consider complaints made by the Palestinian Football Association about Israel’s failure to comply with anti-discrimination regulations.
According to Rajoub, the Israeli state allows clubs based in settlements in the West Bank to participate in national leagues, which, from the Palestinian perspective, constitutes a violation of FIFA’s statutes.
The Palestinian leader also announced that the issue would be presented to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), following the resolution adopted by FIFA in March, which chose not to suspend Israel citing the complexity and the still undetermined current status of the West Bank.
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