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The Palestinian Football Association condemns FIFA suspension of its Chairman, Jibril Rajoub, calling it a “racist, fascist, and miserable decision”

Headline: "Prominent figures in the field of sports condemn FIFA's decision against Rajoub and launch a Donate a Dollar campaign"

"The [Amwaj independent radio station's] bureau of information said that the [Palestinian Football] Association announced that it condemns the punishment imposed on [Fatah Central Committee Secretary and Chairman of the Palestinian Football Association] General [Jibril] Rajoub (by FIFA; see note below –Ed.) and views it as a racist, fascist, and miserable decision, which points to shameful bankruptcy on the part of FIFA in its unjust stance alongside the [Zionist] entity, and to it acting unjustly when it compared the murderer to the victim – the Palestinian sport which suffers due to the actions of the hate-ridden occupation…
The youth union The Tomorrow has decided – based on the popular campaign to appeal the FIFA decision – to launch a fundraising campaign to gather donations of one dollar from every member, player, and honorary member for the benefit of the [popular] campaign. Another campaign will also be launched for the children of the region to send a letter to FIFA, in which they will demand the children's rights in the field of sport that the occupation is denying through arrests and the closing of [sports] clubs."

Jibril Rajoub also holds the following positions: Head of the PLO Supreme Council for Sport and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Palestine Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the Palestinian Scout Association (PSA).

The picture accompanying the article shows people holding a banner with the Amwaj independent radio station logo and the following text on it: "We condemn FIFA's decision against General Jibril Rajoub and against the Palestinian Football Association, as it is a political, unjust, and unsportsmanlike decision."


FIFA imposed sanctions on Chairman of the Palestinian Football Association and Fatah Central Committee Secretary Jibril Rajoub on Aug. 24, 2018, suspending him from attending games for 12 months and fining him 20,000 Swiss francs. This was in response to a detailed complaint submitted by PMW and Rajoub’s actions to thwart a football friendly match between Argentina and Israel in Jerusalem in June 2018, which eventually made Argentina cancel the match. FIFA explained that Rajoub was being punished "for breaching article 53 (Inciting hatred and violence) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, following media statements he gave calling on football fans to target the Argentinian Football Association and burn jerseys and pictures of Lionel Messi."

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