Dropping bid to suspend Israel from FIFA does not mean "give up the resistance"

President of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) Jibril Rajoub decided on Friday to drop the bid to suspend Israel's membership in the FIFA, which outraged Palestinians.

The PFA bid had been included on the agenda at the FIFA Congress, which was held in Zurich, Switzerland. Rajoub, who was persuaded to back down, said that it does not mean that "he gave up the resistance."

Instead, Rajoub proposed to form a FIFA committee to investigate Israeli security measures imposed on Palestinian footballers' movement and to investigate the building of five sports clubs in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which was largely accepted by the FIFA Congress.

After dropping the bid to suspend Israel's membership in the FIFA, the proposal of Rajoub to form a FIFA committee to monitor the Israeli measures imposed on Palestinian sports was presented for voting and earned 165 votes in favor and 18 votes against.

Vice President of the PFA Ibrahim Abu Salim told Xinhua that the association looks for success of the FIFA Congress committee. He said that accepting to form the committee "is a great achievement," adding "we hope that the committee will be able to oblige Israel to end these measures against our sports and our footballers."

He unveiled that the FIFA committee will include members of the FIFA Congress and will be backed by a unit of laws experts that will discuss the issue of the immediate closure of football clubs established in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and join the Israeli football tournament. Endi