A group of United Nations experts on Tuesday insisted on the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and Europe Football Association UEFA to suspend Israel for accusations that the genocide in Gaza commits.
«Sport must reject the perception that it is business as usual,» said the eight independent UN experts in a statement.
«National teams that represent states that commit mass human rights violations can and must be suspended.»
The experts, who have been imposed by the UN people rights council, but who do not speak on behalf of the United Nations, said that suspending Israel «was a necessary response to tackle the current genocide».
Their comments were a week after the Independent International International Commission of Enquiry (COI), which also does not speak on behalf of the world organ, said that «genocide takes place in Gaza» and that Israel was blamed.
Israel, which launched his retaliation war in Gaza after Hamas’ fatal attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, rejected that accusation.
The experts said that countries that organize international organizations and sports competitions with Israel should not «stay neutral in the light of genocide».
They noted that they called for a boycott of «the state of Israel and not individual players».
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«There may be no discrimination or sanctions against individual players because of their origin or nationality,» said the experts, including Francesca Albanian, the special UN rapporteur on rights in the Palestinian territories and members of the UN Working Group for Business and Human Rights.
Last week during an event organized by Amnesty International in London, former Manchester United star Eric Cantona watched what he called «double standards» that Israel enjoyed.
«Four days after Russia started the war in Ukraine, FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia,» he said.
«We are now 716 days in what Amnesty International has called a genocide, and yet Israel can participate,» he said.
«FIFA and UEFA must suspend Israel. Clubs have to refuse to play Israeli teams everywhere,» he said.
Published on September 23, 2025
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