At the 76th FIFA Congress held in Vancouver, political tensions surfaced as Palestinian and Israeli football officials faced each other. Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub publicly expressed anger toward Israel, refusing to shake hands with Israel Football Association Vice President Basim Sheikh Sulaiman despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s call for unity. Rajoub accused Israel of violating FIFA’s anti-discrimination policies by operating clubs in occupied West Bank areas and confirmed that his association had appealed FIFA’s earlier decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on April 20.

FIFA had previously declined to take punitive action against Israeli clubs in West Bank settlements, citing the unresolved international status of the territory. However, it fined the Israel Football Association about 150,000 Swiss francs for separate violations involving racism, discriminatory behavior, and breaches of fair play rules. Infantino urged both sides to remain calm and work together for the future of football and children.

Rajoub maintained his stance, questioning Israel’s FIFA membership and demanding sanctions for alleged human rights violations. Israel’s acting general secretary, Yariv Teper, avoided direct rebuttal but expressed willingness to cooperate with Palestine for football development.