Palestinian Football Association Praises Norway for Urging FIFA to Investigate Israel Before World Cup Qualifier

“President Klaveness’ remarks echo the sentiments of millions around the world who believe that FIFA and the international football community cannot remain silent while grave breaches of human rights persist,” the Palestinian association said in a released statement. “The PFA urges FIFA to act with transparency and urgency by launching a thorough investigation into Israel’s actions and ensuring that football remains a tool for peace and justice, not a platform for impunity.”

The PFA has made repeated efforts to have FIFA, the UEFA, and all national soccer associations ban Israel from all international soccer matches and reiterated the same sentiment in the statement on Tuesday. It also again accused “Israeli occupation forces” of “systematically targeting Palestinian sports, athletes, and infrastructure” in violation of FIFA regulations and international humanitarian law.

“The Israeli Football Association (IFA) systematically violates FIFA statutes by tolerating racism, serving as a tool for Israeli annexation of occupied territory, and encouraging the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” the PFA claimed. “These attacks have resulted in the loss of countless lives, including hundreds of athletes, and the destruction of vital sports facilities, undermining the very principles that football stands for — fairness, respect, and unity.”

Norway, a longtime supporter of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, officially recognized a Palestinian state in May. The country has also been a harsh critic of Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war that began more than 14 months ago. In February, Joav Melchior, chief rabbi of the Jewish community in Oslo, said antisemitism in the Scandinavian country was at its highest level since World War II.

Klaveness said the Norwegian Football Association “stands with the Norwegian government in its demand for an immediate end to the disproportionate attacks on innocent civilians in Gaza,” according to Ynet. She explained that Norway is actively involved in pushing for Israel to be suspended from international soccer games and also commented on the Norway-Israel soccer games that are set to take place next year as part of the European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“The draw is difficult for us, beyond the purely sporting aspect. None of us can remain indifferent to the disproportionate attacks that Israel has inflicted on the civilian population of Gaza over a long period of time,” she added. “Israel is still part of UEFA competitions. We have to deal with that. We are following the situation closely with FIFA, UEFA, and the Norwegian authorities.”

Klaveness additionally pointed out that Norway has a longstanding presence in the Middle East. “We are also closer to the region and the Palestinian Football Federation than most other European federations, because we have been working there on the ground for more than 10 years, with coaches who create football activities for children in schools and refugee camps,” she reportedly said.