FIFA President Tried To Force The Palestinian And Israeli Football Association Leaders To Shake Hands But It Backfired
Rajoub explained that he cannot “shake the hand of someone brought to whitewash fascism and genocide.”
FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino attempted to force a handshake between the heads of the Palestinian and Israeli football associations for a photo, but it backfired after the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) president Jibril Rajoub refused.
At the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada, on April 30, Infantino invited Rajoub and the Israel Football Association vice president Basim Sheikh Suliman, who is a Palestinian citizen of Israel, to the stage to take a photo and shake hands.
In a pointed refusal, Rajoub declined to stand next to Suliman and refused to move even as Infantino tried to physically guide him closer.
"Please, please, please, we are suffering," Rajoub said in refusal, before leaving the stage.
Rajoub later explained that he cannot “shake the hand of someone brought to whitewash fascism and genocide.”
He told reporters that Infantino has the right to try to bridge gaps and bring people together, but “he does not know the deep suffering of the Palestinian people."
“If the other side is representing a criminal like Bibi (Netanyahu) and he is in FIFA Congress and speaking on behalf of Bibi as if Bibi is Mother Teresa, you know, this is Israel, how can I shake hands or have a photo with such a man? You know, I think it's a shame for him," Rajoub added.
The incident had happened after Rajoub had delivered a speech arguing that FIFA must enforce its statutes by barring Israeli clubs that operate in the occupied West Bank.
Under football rules, clubs can only play in their own country's league, on their own country's territory.
However, at least six Israeli football clubs are based in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The PFA had submitted a complaint to FIFA in March 2024, calling for the exclusion of those settlement clubs.
FIFA said it would take no action, arguing that "the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law."
Following the incident, Infantino returned to the podium, saying, "We will work together, President Rajoub and vice president Suliman. Let’s work together to give hope to children. These are complex matters."
Sources said that Infantino reportedly intended the moment as a strategic photo opportunity, set just before he announced his bid for a third term as FIFA president, according to the Guardian.
Infantino confirmed his candidacy for re-election at the 2027 FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco.
Currently facing no opposition, Infantino could potentially lead FIFA for up to 15 years due to statutory changes that reset the three-term limit for his initial partial term.
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