Palestinian football's governing body has said it is "impossible" to accept FIFA's decision that it must play a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia on neutral territory. The fixture, set for Oct. 13, had been scheduled to take place in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, but Saudi Arabia on Sept.23 demanded that it be played on neutral ground. The teams met each other in Jeddah in June, with the Saudis winning 3-2.
That match was actually supposed to be played in Palestine but Saudi Arabia had refused to travel to the West Bank, citing undefined "exceptional circumstances." Palestine agreed to the switch but had requested that the return fixture, originally scheduled to be played in Jeddah, be hosted by Palestine instead, thus essentially just reversing the home and away fixtures.
Palestinian FA officials said the Saudi decision could have been due to reluctance to pass through Israeli checkpoints on their way to the game. On Monday, Saudi media said FIFA had agreed to transfer the October match to neutral territory. Many Arab national teams refuse to play in the West Bank, saying it "normalizes" Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory.
